Previous Section Index Home Page

Water Desalination Plants

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many water desalination plants are (a) in operation, (b) under construction and (c) planned; what the location is of each; and which company is involved in each case. [84054]

Ian Pearson: The water companies’ proposals for resource developments, including proposed desalination plants, were set out in their 25 year water resources plans, prepared in 2004. The Environment Agency reported on the appropriateness of those plans in ‘Maintaining Water Supply’, which is available from its website:

Currently, no water company has a desalination plant in operation. South East Water has been testing a pilot plant at Newhaven, although no water from this pilot project has gone into supply. The company is preparing the documentation to support a planning
13 July 2006 : Column 1960W
application for a plant at this site. Thames Water is appealing against the refusal of planning permission for a plant at Beckton in the Thames estuary. The company’s water resources plan also identifies provision for a second plant in the 2020s. Folkestone and Dover Water plan a small desalination plant at Hythe in 2019 and Southern Water propose the development of a desalination plant in the 2020s.

Water Services

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many customers were in receipt of the vulnerable groups’ tariff for each water company over the last three years for which figures are available. [84056]

Ian Pearson: Each year, Ofwat collects information from companies on the number of households applying for, and successfully receiving, assistance offered under the Vulnerable Groups Regulations.

The following table sets out the numbers for 2002-03, 2003-04 and 2004-05.

Total number of applications Total number of successful applications

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

2002-03

2003-04

2004-05

Anglian and HPL

958

1,293

1,311

993

843

682

Dwr Cymru

121

374

417

78

245

319

United Utilities

1,222

1,439

1,489

946

1,031

1,114

Northumbrian and Essex and Suffolk

376

439

569

316

378

483

Severn Trent

557

771

1 ,072

449

651

916

South West

608

1,446

1,647

601

1,440

1,645

Southern

332

278

262

325

271

258

Thames

798

1,302

1,655

675

1,097

1,323

Wessex

228

178

519

202

294

481

Yorkshire and York

635

829

1,131

594

768

1,059

Bournemouth and West Hampshire

50

69

87

50

69

73

Bristol

97

120

118

93

99

93

Cambridge

52

77

89

51

74

81

Dee Valley

3

5

10

3

5

10

Folkestone

29

32

28

12

11

12

Mid Kent

66

86

171

66

83

138

Portsmouth

15

14

25

14

13

24

South East Water

87

85

105

65

78

91

South Staffs.

63

37

39

32

36

39

Sutton and East Surrey

7

10

38

5

10

38

Tendring Hundred

156

119

103

132

98

87

Three Valleys/North Surrey

213

81

275

157

49

251

Water and Sewerage Companies

5,835

8,349

10,072

5,179

7,018

8,280

Water Only Companies

838

735

1,088

680

625

937

Industry

6,673

9,084

11,160

5,859

7,643

9,217


Treasury

Affordable Housing

16. Andrew George: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on implementation of the recommendations of the Barker review on affordable housing. [84777]

John Healey: Good progress has been made on implementing the recommendations contained in the ‘Barker Review of Housing Supply’.

The Government set out, at the last pre-Budget report, an ambitious agenda to raise the level of house-building to 200,000 new homes a year over the next decade, making housing more affordable.

So far we have succeeded in driving up housing supply, with new house building in England reaching 160,000 in 2005, the highest level since 1990.


13 July 2006 : Column 1961W

We have set out major reforms to encourage housing growth including a new ‘Planning Policy Statement for Housing’ to bring forward more land in response to demand, and a planning gain supplement to help fund infrastructure to support growth.

Economic Growth

17. James Brokenshire: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with his G8 colleagues regarding prospects for global economic growth. [84778]

Ed Balls: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mr. Crabb) on the Floor of the House earlier today.

Stamp Duty

18. Rob Marris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what forecasts he has made of stamp duty receipts from sales of residential property during the periods between 1 June 2006 and 31 December 2006 and 1 June 2007 and 31 December 2007. [84779]

Ed Balls: Forecasts of yield are made at Budget time on a fiscal year basis. The forecast is published in table C8 which aggregates stamp duty on property with that on shares.

A retrospective analysis of yield from residential and commercial stamp duty land tax (stamp duty on property) is published in the autumn.

23. Mr. Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the future of stamp duty on residential property sales. [84785]

Ed Balls: All taxes are kept under review and announcements are made in the Budget.

Mr. Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 26 June 2006, Official Report, column 95W, on stamp duty (1) how much was raised in stamp duty from home sales in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) London, (c) Southend and (d) Wales in 2005-06; [83692]

(2) how much was raised in stamp duty from home sales in (a) each local authority area, (b) the United Kingdom, (c) London, (d) Scotland and (e) Wales in the nearest year to 1997-98 for which figures are available. [83696]

Ed Balls: Estimates of stamp duty raised from home sales in 1997-98 in the United Kingdom, London, Scotland and Northern Ireland (combined) and Wales are available at:

Final figures for 2005-06 have not yet been published.

G8 Summit

19. Mrs. Betty Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the forthcoming G8 meeting in St. Petersburg on 15 to 17 July. [84780]


13 July 2006 : Column 1962W

Ed Balls: The Prime Minister will attend the G8 summit in St. Petersburg this weekend. This is the first Russian G8 Presidency and the UK is working with G8 partners for a successful summit. The Presidency’s focus is on energy security, infectious diseases and education. These and other current issues will be discussed at the meeting. The Prime Minister will lead two sessions on Africa at the summit, in recognition of continuing G8 focus on Africa.

Unemployment (Shropshire)

20. Mark Pritchard: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on levels of unemployment in Shropshire between June 2005 and June 2006. [84782]

John Healey: The number of people unemployed and claiming benefit in Shropshire in May 2006 is 2,599. This is 603 higher than the previous year, but it is nearly 1,700 lower than it was in 1997, and nearly 10,000 lower than it was in 1986 under the last Government.


Next Section Index Home Page