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25 Jun 2007 : Column 74W—continued

Energy Supply

Dr. Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if his Department will consider the merits of publishing a low carbon
25 Jun 2007 : Column 75W
milestone document to help Ofgem achieve its new role of analysing the long term energy outlook in order to address concerns about security of supply as outlined in the recent Energy White Paper. [143866]

Ian Pearson: As set out in the Energy White Paper, the new Energy Markets Outlook is to be jointly managed by the Department of Trade and Industry and Ofgem to provide energy market information relating to security of supply.

Through the Energy White Paper and draft Climate Change Bill, the Government have provided a framework to encourage the development of low carbon technologies, which will allow the market to help minimise the cost of achieving our goals. Our commitment to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme also shows our continued belief that a carbon market is the most cost-effective way to reduce emissions. However, it is for the market to decide how to respond and in which technologies to invest. We therefore have no plans to publish a milestone document.

Energy: Conservation

Mr. Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers his Department has (a) to advise, (b) to encourage and (c) to compel businesses to minimise energy and electricity consumption during non-business times in order (i) to improve energy efficiency, (ii) to minimise environmental damage and (iii) to reduce light pollution. [145513]

Ian Pearson: DEFRA funds the Carbon Trust, who work closely with business to encourage sustainable use of energy, establish energy efficient practices and systems, and develop low carbon technologies. Under its Solutions programme the trust advises businesses on cutting carbon emissions through reducing energy use, including advice on switching off lighting and equipment during non-business times. The Carbon Trust holds free lighting workshops, and produces a number of publications specifically focused on lighting in the business sector.

The Secretary of State has the power to enter into climate change agreements (CCAs) with industry sectors and individual companies that meet certain eligibility conditions. CCAs give entitlement to claim an 80 per cent. discount from the Climate Change Levy in return for meeting challenging energy efficiency or carbon emissions reductions targets. The targets apply regardless of when energy is used.

In addition, as part of the Energy White Paper, the Government announced that they would be taking forward the Carbon Reduction Commitment (CRC). The CRC is a mandatory emissions trading scheme that will target energy use emissions from large non-energy intensive commercial and public sector organisations, such as supermarkets, banks, large local authorities and Government Departments.

This sector accounts for around 10 per cent. of the UK’s carbon emissions and is rising. There is scope for significant abatement. The CRC will deliver emissions reductions of 1.1 MtC per year by 2020 from this sector. It would encourage organisations to minimise their energy use by placing a cap on their overall energy use emissions.


25 Jun 2007 : Column 76W

We will be publishing a consultation document shortly on the detail of how the proposed CRC can best be implemented.

Stronger powers were provided to local authorities to tackle light pollution under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. The Act extends the statutory nuisance regime enabling local authorities to issue abatement notices, and individuals to take private action through the magistrates court.

Energy: Meters

Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will meet industry representatives to discuss smart metering and the Energy White Paper. [144751]

Ian Pearson: My Department holds regular meetings with industry representatives to discuss a range of issues, including smart metering and the proposals in the Energy White Paper.

Environment Agency: Natural England

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had on merging the Environment Agency and Natural England; and if he will make a statement. [144766]

Barry Gardiner: The Secretary of State has had no recent discussions on merging the Environment Agency and Natural England.

Farms

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average size of a farm is in (a) Cornwall, (b) the South West and (c) the UK. [144228]

Barry Gardiner: The average size of holdings for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, the South West Region and England at June 2006 can be found in the following table. Figures for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland fall under the jurisdiction of the devolved authorities.

Average holding size in hectares

(a) Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

31.2

(b) South West Region

36.8

(c) England

46.6

Note:
Estimates have been made for holdings not selected or not responding.
Source:
June Agricultural Survey

Fisheries: Income

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the average annual earnings of fishermen in (a) Cornwall, (b) the South West and (c) the UK in each year since 1979. [144232]

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.


25 Jun 2007 : Column 77W

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 25 June 2007:

Average earnings for all full-time employee jobs( a) by occupation( b) (United Kingdom)
£
Gross annual pay
Median Mean

1999

14,600

x

2000

15,900

**18,800

2001

15,700

x

2002(b)

*12,600

*13,700

2003

*13,400

*14,400

2004 excl.

*14,900

*15,900

2004 inc.(c)

*14,200

*15,800

2005

x

x

2006

**17,300

*18,400

Notes: (a) Employees on adult rates who have been in the same job for more than a year. (b) “Fisherman” is defined as Unit Group 903 in the Standard Occupational Classification 1990—“Fishing and Related Workers”, covering years 1999 to 2001, and as Unit Group 5119 in the Standard Occupational Classification 2000—'Agricultural and Fishing Trades Not Elsewhere Classified”, covering years 2002 onwards. (c) In 2004 additional supplementary surveys were introduced to improve the coverage of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Figures are presented both excluding and including the additional surveys for comparison purposes. Guide to quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an average of 200 with a CV of 5 per cent. we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. Key: CV<=5 per cent. * CV>5 per cent. and <=10 per cent. ** CV> 10 per cent. and <=20 per cent. x CV > 20 per cent. The median is the value below which 50 per cent. of employees fall. It is preferred over the mean for earnings data as it is influenced less by extreme values and because of the skewed distribution of earnings data. Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number and proportion of fishermen in (a) Cornwall, (b) the South West and (c) the UK living below the poverty line. [144235]


25 Jun 2007 : Column 78W

Mr. Jim Murphy: I have been asked to reply.

The information requested is not available.

Fisheries: Manpower

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fishermen there were in (a) Cornwall, (b) the South West and (c) the UK in each year since 1979; and what proportion of the total workforce they made up in each year. [144233]

Mr. Bradshaw: The information requested, for the UK and the South West, is shown in the following table where available. A breakdown of the number of fishermen in Cornwall is not available.

Numbers of UK fishermen based in: Overall workforce( 2)
South West England( 1) Total UK South West England Total UK

1979

26,541,000

1980

23,309

26,863,000

1981

23,990

27,093,000

1982

23,011

26,892,000

1983

22,587

26,653,000

1984

21,869

27,485,000

1985

22,224

27,710,000

1986

22,634

27,837,000

1987

22,424

28,092,000

1988

22,320

28,439,000

1989

28,815,000

1990

28,925,000

1991

28,807,000

1992

2,326,000

28,428,000

1993

2,326,000

28,234,000

1994

3,203

20,703

2,346,000

28,201,000

1995

3,090

19,986

2,356,000

28,202,000

1996

2,909

19,044

2,359,000

28,345,000

1997

2,767

18,604

2,402,000

28,492,000

1998

2,841

17,889

2,413,000

28,497,000

1999

2,485

16,896

2,444,000

28,811,000

2000

2,449

15,649

2,464,000

29,071,000

2001

2,336

14,958

2,474,000

29,122,000

2002

2,309

14,205

2,502,000

29,399,000

2003

2,403

13,122

2,514,000

29,645,000

2004

2,502

13,453

2,533,000

29,839,000

2005

2,331

12,647

2,557,000

30,100,000

2006

2,575,000

30,552,000

(1) Based on vessels licensed at the administrative ports of Brixham, Newlyn and Plymouth, Marine Fisheries Agency.
(2) Economically active persons in the UK aged over 16 estimated by the Labour Force Survey, Office for National Statistics.

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