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21 Jun 2006 : Column 1876W—continued
Local Strategic Partnerships
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether non-councillor members of local strategic partnerships are (a) regulated by (i) local government codes of conduct and (ii) the Standards Board and (b) required to declare personal or prejudicial interests. [78281]
Mr. Woolas: The Local Government Act 2000 provides for a code of conduct to apply to members and co-opted members of every relevant authority. The Standards Board for England polices this code. This code does not directly apply to non-local authority members of LSPs. However, they would be required to conduct themselves with reference to their own professional or corporate code of conduct, and to comply with any advice which accompanies this.
Valuation Office Agency
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 26 April 2006, Official Report, column 1196W, to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman), on the automated valuation model, what data sources are used to compile the Valuation Office Agency's single dataset. [78253]
Mr. Woolas: The main source of the Valuation Office Agency's (VOA's) property attribute dataset is the Agency's own paper-based records, which have now been digitised and are maintained as part of ongoing work in the VOA. Data has also been drawn from other sources to supplement and validate these records. These are:
data on the location of subsidised housing from the National Register of Social Housing (NRoSH); this has been reviewed and adapted by the VOA
data supplied under a contractual arrangement with Rightmove.co.uk plc
National Land and Property Gazetteer “X-Y co-ordinate” data
Additionally, data is supplied by local authorities, primarily as part of their statutory responsibility to supply information which they consider would assist the VOA's listing officers in maintaining council tax lists.
Also, standard ordnance survey maps have been used to confirm some property attribute details and to assist with the calculation of plot sizes.
Wards
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authority wards, including the district tier in two-tier areas, there are in England. [78252]
Mr. Woolas: Decisions as to the number of wards in England are a matter for the Electoral Commission. The current number is: in the 32 London boroughs, 624 wards; in the 36 Metropolitan districts, 815 wards; in the 45 Shire unitary authorities (excluding the county of the Isle of Wight which has 48 divisions), 1,006 wards; in the 238 two-tier districts, 5,449 wards. Total: 7,894 wards.
Trade and Industry
Arms Exports
Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent estimate he has made of the annual value of the UK arms export trade. [76858]
Mr. Ingram: I have been asked to reply.
Defence exports bring commercial benefits to UK companies and around 20 per cent. of UK defence employment is in export work. As set out in the Defence Industrial Strategy White Paper in December 2005 (CM6697), they also contribute to the achievement of wider defence objectives and support our foreign and security interests.
Over the last five years the UK defence industry, with the support of the Defence Export Services Organisation, won defence export orders averaging £4.5 billion per annum. Last year, these included the US101 helicopter, to be used for the US Presidential flight, and an important understanding with Saudi Arabia. This will lead to a greater partnership in modernising the Saudi armed forces, and will sustain the defence relationship for many years to come.
Malcolm Wicks: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what purpose a Westland Scout AH1 helicopter (registration G-ONEB) was transferred to Sierra Leone after being deregistered in the UK on 12 May 2006, and if he will make a statement. [77081]
Mr. McCartney: My interest in this relates to the possible need for an export licence for the export of this item. Although I am bound by a duty of commercial confidentiality as regards export licensing information which may be placed in the public domain, I shall ensure that this matter is pursued, if necessary involving HM Revenue and Customs as the enforcement authority. I would be grateful if the hon. Member could send me any further factual information he holds regarding this matter.
Coal Production
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much coal was produced by the (a) National Coal Board and (b) British Coal Corporation in each year since 1976. [79215]
Malcolm Wicks: The information is as follows:
Departmental Hospitality
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will keep a separate record of the amount spent annually by his Department on alcohol for hospitality purposes. [77262]
Jim Fitzpatrick: The DTI does not currently keep a separate record of amounts spent on alcohol. It is not intended to keep a separate record in future since the total spent by the Department on hospitality in the round was £71,000 in 2005-06 and it would not be cost effective to further analyse such a relatively low amount.
The DTI’s internal guidance strongly reinforces the need for any expenditure in respect of hospitality to be conducted in accordance with the principles of Government accounting.
Energy Efficiency
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of his Department's additional allocation from the Treasury for support for micro-renewables he plans to allocate to individual household installations. [78485]
Malcolm Wicks: The additional £50 million announced by the Chancellor in the Budget will not be used to support microgeneration installations in individual households. These funds will be used for installations in the public sector, possibly including social housing.
Individuals can apply for grants under the original £30 million Low Carbon Buildings Programme.
Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to encourage the use of (a) cleaner and (b) more efficient sources of energy. [77858]
Malcolm Wicks: Government are taking a number of measures to encourage the use of cleaner and more efficient sources of energy such as renewables, combined heat and power (CHP), and carbon abatement technologies.
The Government's key mechanism for encouraging renewable generation is the Renewables Obligation (RO) which places an obligation on electricity suppliers to source a specific and annually increasing percentage of their sales from eligible renewable sources. This is set at 6.7 per cent. for 2006-07 and will rise to 15.4 per cent. by 2015-16. The RO together with the Climate Change Levy will be worth up to £l billion per year by 2010.
Since 2002 the Government have also made available around £500 million of direct funding for emerging renewable and low carbon technologies in the form of capital grants.
£117 million in capital grants for round one offshore wind farms;
£66 million for biomass capital grants;
£80 million for Low Carbon Buildings Programme;
£50 million Demonstration Fund for Carbon Abatement Technologies, Hydrogen and Fuel Cells;
£12.5 million for the Clear Skies Programme;
£50 million for Marine Renewables Deployment Fund; and
£19 million a year for industry-led Research & Development.
With regard to Combined Heat and Power (CHP) the Government have added support measures for CHP in the new Climate Change Programme, including a commitment that CHP will be fully considered in the UK's Phase II National Allocation Plan of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Combined heat and power (CHP) can increase the overall efficiency of fuel utilisation to more than 75 per cent. compared with up to 50 per cent. from modern Combined Cycle Gas Turbines. We are also considering whether we can offer support for CHP under the current Energy Review.
In 2005 the Government launched the Carbon Abatement Technologies Strategy and the UK's Strategic Framework for Hydrogen Energy. Carbon Abatement Technologies (CATs) have the potential to significantly lower carbon dioxide emissions by 85 per cent. or more and will enable the cleaner use of coal and allow it to have a role in a sustainable world. The use of hydrogen as a transport fuel could provide significant cost-competitive CO2 reductions by 2030. These strategies include (as listed above) funding for demonstration of hydrogen, fuel cell and carbon abatement technologies (including Cleaner Coal and Carbon Capture and Storage).
The EU Emissions Trading scheme covers electricity generation and energy intensive industry and requires an allowance to be produced for every tonne of carbon dioxide emitted. These allowances are tradeable across the EU and will effectively require companies to incorporate the cost of carbon into decision making. This scheme should therefore provide another incentive to invest in cleaner and more efficient sources of energy.
Energy Engineers
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information his Department holds on the average age of registered professional (a) gas engineers and (b) nuclear engineers. [78521]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department does not hold information covering the age profiles of registered gas or registered nuclear engineers.
Work force demographics will be addressed in the sector skills agreements which are being developed by the relevant sector skills councils—Cogent for nuclear and Energy and Utility Skills for gas. These will provide a framework for meeting current and future needs for skilled people.
Energy Review
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the reasons are for the delay in posting the submissions received in April in response to the Energy Review consultation on his Department’s website; and when he expects all the remaining submissions to be posted. [79081]
Malcolm Wicks: We received a high number of responses to the Energy Review consultation (over 5,300), many of which were submitted towards the end of the consultation period. Since the close we have focused on reading and logging the responses to ensure the comments feed into our overall analysis. We are now working on responses received in April, which we hope to post on the DTI website by the end of the month. Helen Goodman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will post the submissions received in April to the Energy Review consultation on his departmental website. [78973]Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 20 June 2006]: The high number of responses to the Energy Review consultation (over 5,300), many of which were submitted towards the end of the consultation period, has meant we are still working on the responses received in April. We hope to post these on the DTI website by the end of the month.
Franco-British Nuclear Forum
Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of EU competition law on the Franco-British Nuclear Forum announced by the Prime Minister on 9 June 2006; [79042]
(2) how many (a) permanent and (b) temporary staff have been allocated from his Department to the Franco-British Nuclear Forum announced by the Prime Minister on 9 June 2006; [79050]
(3) which UK companies and industry groups were consulted about the setting up of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum prior to its announcement by the Prime Minister on 9 June 2006; [79051]
(4) what assessment he has made of the likely cost of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum announced by the Prime Minister on 9 June 2006; and what proportion of the costs will be borne by UK companies and industry groups. [79052]
Malcolm Wicks: The terms of reference for the Franco-British Nuclear Forum, which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and President Chirac agreed to establish on 9 June 2006, have yet to be decided, as have its aims, and its membership. I shall write to the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton as soon as the information is available.
Mr. Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) when he plans to make a statement on the Franco-British Nuclear Forum announced by the Prime Minister on 9 June 2006; [79102]
(2) who will represent the UK at the Franco-British Nuclear Forum announced by the Prime Minister on 9 June 2006; [79103]
(3) what the (a) terms of reference and (b) aims are of the Franco-British Nuclear Forum announced by the Prime Minister on 9 June 2006; and how often it will meet. [79104]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answers 20 June 2006]: The terms of reference for the Franco-British Nuclear Forum, which my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and President Chirac agreed to establish on 9 June 2006, have yet to be decided, as have its aims, and its membership. I shall write to the hon. Member for Rutland and Melton as soon as the information is available.
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