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14 May 2007 : Column 473W—continued

Heating: Carbon Emissions

Mr. Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he has taken to tackle carbon dioxide emissions from outdoor space heaters. [136295]

Ian Pearson: Very limited information is available about the number of outdoor patio heaters in use in the UK. DEFRA’s Market Transformation Programme (MTP) has estimated that there are approximately 630,000 in use in the domestic sector and between 26,000 and 105,000 in the hospitality sector (pubs, restaurants and hotels).

Making reasonable assumptions about fuel, power rating, and level of usage, the MTP estimates annual energy consumption to be approximately 670 gigawatt-hours (GWh) in the domestic sector and between 280 and 1,100 GWh in the hospitality sector. The corresponding annual carbon dioxide emissions are 140,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in the domestic sector and between 60,000 and 240,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide in the in the hospitality sector. Further information is available from the MTP’s website at:

The Government are committed to raising product standards and encouraging people to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. However, as a member of the European single market, the Government cannot by itself introduce mandatory minimum standards for appliances on the basis of their energy efficiency as it would inhibit their free trade. In order to set such standards we need to persuade other member states that this is necessary across the EU. The Eco-Design
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for Energy Using Products (EUP) Framework Directive provides a streamlined and effective route for setting such requirements. The European Commission has currently identified a list of 20 priority products for action. At present, patio heaters are not on this list.

Lighting

Mr. Bruce George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Department of Health on the implications for people with light sensitivity conditions of phasing out the sale of incandescent light bulbs. [133878]

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.

The Department is aware of the need to consider health implications in the event of incandescent light bulbs being phased out. Departmental officials have already had discussions with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and other Government Departments that have an interest in these matters.

Renewable Energy

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with colleagues in the Department of Trade and Industry on merging activities connected to the delivery of support for renewable energy and energy efficiency. [135864]

Ian Pearson: None.

Warm Front Scheme

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans his Department has to extend funding available via the warm homes scheme to cover the installation of new and environmentally sustainable technologies; and if he will make a statement. [135813]

Ian Pearson: I assume the hon. Member is referring to the warm front scheme.

Technologies not currently offered by the warm front scheme are assessed to establish their suitability. Considerations include cost, energy efficiency and ease of use.

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average excess payable by households receiving warm front grants is in each (a) local authority area and (b) Government office region. [136347]

Ian Pearson [holding answer 8 May 2007]: The information requested is not collected centrally and a response could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Water: Meters

Dr. Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the number of metered
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households in each local authority area in England which (a) are eligible for and (b) have been granted assistance in paying their water bills under the Vulnerable Groups Regulations. [136263]

Ian Pearson: The Water Industry (Charges) (Vulnerable Groups) Regulations 1999 apply for metered customers who meet certain criteria to protect them from paying large water bills.

Ofwat, the economic regulator of the water and sewerage industry in England and Wales, collects data on the number of households receiving assistance under the Vulnerable Groups Regulations in the water companies’ annual June returns. The latest figures on the number of households that have been granted assistance in paying their water bills are from 2005-06 and are reported by water company rather than local authority area, and are set out in the following table.


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Number of households receiving assistance under vulnerable groups tariff: 2005-06
Water company Number of households

Anglian

719

Dwr Cymru

426

Northumbrian (North East and Essex and Suffolk)

672

Severn Trent

1,223

South West

2,962

Southern

324

Thames

1,780

United Utilities

1,447

Wessex

622

Yorkshire

1,308

Bournemouth and W Hampshire

96

Bristol

391

Cambridge

97

Dee Valley

16

Folkestone and Dover

42

Mid Kent

103

Portsmouth

30

South East Water

114

South Staffordshire

139

Sutton and East Surrey

64

Tendring Hundred

328

Three Valleys

284

Total

13,187


Ofwat has not made an estimate of the number of metered households eligible under the vulnerable groups regulations.

Water: Shortages

Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the (a) dates and (b) durations of hose pipe bans in each water company area were in each year since 2000. [136554]

Ian Pearson [holding answer 10 May 2007]: Water companies introduce hosepipe bans under their own powers in the Water Industry Act 1991. The following table shows when hosepipe bans were introduced and lifted, and the approximate duration of the bans. No hosepipe bans were imposed in the period 2000-04.

Water company/supply zone Hosepipe ban introduced Hosepipe ban removed Duration of restrictions (months approx.)

Sutton and East Surrey

Company wide

(1)

18 January 2007

21

Southern Water

Sussex North

10 June 2005

18 January 2007

19

Sussex Coast

11 July 2005

18 January 2007

18

Hastings, Thanet, Medway

30 July 2005

18 January 2007

17.5

Isle of Wight

24 March 2006

18 January 2007

10

SE Water

Sussex and Kent

30 July 2005

6 February 2007

18

Northern zone

3 April 2006

6 February 2007

10

Cholderton and District

Company wide

1 July 2005

18 December 2006

17.5

Mid Kent

Company wide

8 August 2005

28 February 2007

19

Thames Water

Company wide

3 April 2006

18 January 2007

9.5

Three Valleys Water

Company wide

3 April 2006

18 January 2007

9.5

(1) Unattended hosepipe (e.g. sprinkler) ban from 22 April 2005, full ban from 1 March 2006

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Water: South East Region

Mr. Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the status is of the proposed new and extended reservoir developments in (a) Broad Oak, Kent, (b) Clay Hill, East Sussex, (c) Havant Thicket, Hampshire, (d) Upper Thames, Oxon, (e) Bewl Enlargement, Kent, (f) Bray Enlargement, Berkshire and (g) Abberton, Essex. [136011]

Ian Pearson: These proposed reservoir developments were set out in water companies’ 25 year water resources plans prepared in 2004 for the periodic review of water prices. Companies envisaged they would be developed in the period up to 2020. It is the responsibility of the companies concerned to apply for the necessary planning, abstraction, impounding and other consents required.

Trade and Industry

Broadband

Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what proportion of homes had access to broadband in each year since 2000; what (a) estimates of and (b) targets for broadband access his Department has made for future years; and if he will make a statement. [135517]

Margaret Hodge: Since 2000 the number of homes which have access to broadband in each year is as follows: 2000 (30 per cent.), 2001 (49 per cent.), 2002 (63 per cent.), 2003 (85 per cent.), 2004 (93.3 per cent.), 2005 (99.6 per cent.) and 2006 (99.8 per cent.).

The Department has not (a) estimated or (b) set any targets for future broadband access. The Telecomms Adjudicator has responsibility for setting future targets for broadband access. Their target of 98 per cent. for 2006 was met and surpassed in December 2005. Further information can be found on their website

Carbon Sequestration: Renewables Obligation

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reasons clean electricity generated using carbon capture and storage technology is not included in the renewables obligation. [135580]

Malcolm Wicks: The Renewables Obligation is the Government’s key mechanism for encouraging the generation of electricity from renewable sources. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology is used to store the carbon emissions produced during the generation of electricity by fossil fuel generating stations. This technology is therefore not eligible under the RO as it does not involve the production of electricity from renewable sources. However, the Government are supportive of it and announced in the 2007 Budget that the UK would run a competition for full scale demonstration of CCS. We are also pressing for CCS to be recognised in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.


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Departments: India

Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Ministers in his Department have visited India in the last 12 months; on how many occasions each Minister visited India; and what the length was of each visit. [135548]

Mr. McCartney: This Government publish an annual list of Cabinet Ministers’ travel overseas costing over £500 along with the total cost of all ministerial travel. Information for 2005-06 was published on 24 July 2006 and is available in the Library of the House. Information for 2006-07 will be published as soon as it is ready.

All travel is in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State visited India once in the last 12 months on 14-17 January 2006; his visit lasted for four days.

I as the Minister for Trade visited India once in the last 12 months on 23-27 and 29-30 November 2006; my visit lasted for six days.


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