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25 Jun 2007 : Column 74Wcontinued
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
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.
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 UKs 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 | |
Note: Estimates have been made for holdings not selected or not responding. Source: June Agricultural Survey |
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.
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:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what estimate has been made of the average annual earnings of fisherman in (a) Cornwall, (b) the South West and (c) the UK in each year since 1979. (144232)
I attach a table showing average annual earnings for a fisherman in the UK, for the years 1999 to 2006. Figures showing the average annual earnings of a fisherman in Cornwall or the South West, and annual figures prior to 1999, are not available. For years prior to 2002, 'fisherman' is defined as Unit Group 903 in the Standard Occupational Classification 1990'Fishing and Related Workers'. For years 2002 onwards, 'fisherman' is defined as Unit Group 5119 in the Standard Occupational Classification 2000'Agricultural and Fishing Trades Not Elsewhere Classified'.
The Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, carried out in April each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes.
Average earnings for all full-time employee jobs( a) by occupation( b) (United Kingdom) | ||
£ | ||
Gross annual pay | ||
Median | Mean | |
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 1990Fishing 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 CVfor 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]
Mr. Jim Murphy: I have been asked to reply.
The information requested is not available.
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 | |
(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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