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9 Oct 2006 : Column 199W—continued
Energy Rating of Dwellings
Mr. Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the fuel prices per kWh in table 12 of the Standard Assessment Procedure for Energy Rating of Dwellings 2005 are derived; and how the figures are kept updated to reflect variations in the relative prices of fuels. [91978]
Ian Pearson: The fuel prices in table 12 of the Standard Assessment Procedure for Energy Rating of Dwellings 2005 are derived from information produced at six-monthly intervals by Salkent (now Sutherland's Tables). The data given for different regions of the UK are weighted according to the population of the region, and the price of each fuel is averaged over a three-year period (to smooth the effect of short-term variations).
The prices in table 12 are updated when a new edition of Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) is prepared. The calculation of the SAP rating includes a deflator term to adjust for general inflation in fuel prices, thus an increase in price of say 10 per cent. in all fuels would have no effect on the SAP ratings following recalculation of the prices and the deflator term.
Environment Agency
Mr. Harper:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much
funding his Department has provided to the Environment Agency for flood protection in each of the past five years; and what funding will be provided in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09. [90181]
Ian Pearson: DEFRA funding to the Environment Agency for flood risk management is as follows:
| £ million | |
Prior to 2004-05 the flood risk management function of the Agency was funded primarily through a combination of grants from DEFRA for specific projects and levies on local authorities. The latter, which were largely supported by Revenue Support Grant from the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, are not included in the table. Both forms of funding were largely replaced by grant in aid from DEFRA from 2004/05 onwards.
Figures for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are outturn of DEFRA grant in aid and 2006-07 is a budget allocation. Funding for later years has yet to be decided.
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the budget of the Environment Agency was in the last 10 financial years in real terms (a) in total and (b) broken down by (i) grant-in-aid from Government, (ii) funding for flood defences and (iii) grant-in-aid from Government excluding flood defences. [90463]
Ian Pearson: Table 1 shows actual spending and funding figures for the Environment Agency in England. Table 2 shows approximate real-terms equivalents calculated using the Public Works Non- Road Inflation (PWNRI) index published by the Department of Trade and Industry, with 1996-97 as the base year. These latter equivalents should be viewed as a rough guide only because the PWNRI is unlikely to be an exact measurement of cost changes for the goods and services procured by the Agency, especially for the non flood risk elements.
| Table 2: Rough estimates of real-terms equivalents of table 1 (£million) | ||||
| Funding | ||||
| £ million | ||||
| Total EA expenditure( 1) | Total Grant in Aid (GIA) | Funding for flood risk management (GIA from 2004-05 onwards) | GIA for other purposes (Environment Protection, Conservation, Recreation, Navigation and Fisheries) | |
| (1)Includes funding from other sources. (2)As the base year, 1996-97 values are actual. (3)Total EA budget for 2005-06 is forecast pending finalisation of outturn spend figures. | ||||
Prior to 2004-05 the flood risk management function of the Agency was funded primarily through a combination of grant from DEFRA for specific projects and levies on local authorities. The latter, which were largely supported by Revenue Support Grant from the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, are not included in the table. Both forms of funding were largely replaced by grant in aid from DEFRA from 2004-05 onwards.
Environmental Directives
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 July 2006, Official Report, column 713W, on environmental directives, which environmental directives were agreed and published between May 1997 and the formation of his Department; what the transposition date is of each; whether they have been transposed; and which Government Department is responsible for monitoring UK compliance. [90207]
Ian Pearson: Defra does not hold central records of environmental directives agreed and published between May 1997 and the formation of the Department in June 2001. The information requested could only be assembled at disproportionate cost.
However, details of all directives in force can be found on the Eur-Lex database available on the European Union's website at: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex.
EU Food Designations
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications he has received for the European Union’s (a) Protected Designation of Origin status, (b) Protected Geographical Indication designation and (c) Traditional Speciality Guaranteed designation for UK products in 2006; and how many he received in each of the last five years in each case. [88780]
Barry Gardiner: The number of applications made for protection under the European Union’s Protected Food Names Scheme, under each designation, for 2006 and the last five years, is set out in the following table. Of these 30 applications, six have been forwarded to the European Commission to consider and 24 are at various stages of the UK assessment process.
| (a) PDO | (b) PGI | (c) TSG | |
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many UK applications for the European Union’s (a) Protected Designation of Origin, (b) Protected Geographical Indication and (c) Traditional Speciality Guaranteed designation have been successful in each of the last five years. [89059]
Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 4 September 2006, Official Report, column 2017W.
Farm Subsidies
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2006, Official Report, column 1857W, on single farm payments, when Single Payment Scheme details of (a) the number of payments made, (b) the number of outstanding payments, (c) the value of payments made and (d) the value of outstanding payments in England up to 30 June 2006 are expected to be published. [89386]
Barry Gardiner: The figures were published on 5 July and showed that up to 30 June, the close of the regulatory Single Payment Scheme payment window, (a) a total of 107,888 full or partial payments had been made, (b) 8,500 customers had yet to receive a payment of which 460 had claims valued at more than €1,000 (£682), (c) the value of payments made was £1,438,233,836 and the value of outstanding payments was approximately £77 million.
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2006, Official Report, column 1857W, on single farm payments, what the total value is of single farm payments which (a) have been made and (b) are outstanding, broken down by English region. [89387]
Barry Gardiner: The latest figures published on 27 September showed Single Payment Scheme payments totalling £1,497,691,761 had been made. It is not possible to give a regional breakdown of the remainder at this stage, but the intention is to publish full details of payments to farmers by region shortly after the conclusion of the payment cycle. These latest figures indicated that approximately £18 million of the £1.515 billion estimated total fund remained to be paid to farmers across England who are eligible for payment.
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