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Foot and Mouth Disease

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps he is taking to improve communication methods between his Department's officials and farmers during foot and mouth disease outbreaks. [161558]

Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 29 October 2007]: It has been a priority for Defra Ministers and officials to work closely with, and listen to, farmers and the leaders of industry during the outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (FMD). Defra has been working closely with a wide range of farming industry stakeholders on a daily basis to ensure that there is effective communication with farmers.

All registered keepers of livestock within the initial FMD Protection and Surveillance Zones were contacted within 24 hours of the zones being declared.
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Since the start of the FMD outbreak on 3 August, approximately one million information messages have been sent to stakeholders. These include voicemail messages, text messages, e-mails and facsimiles. In addition, approximately 10,000 information packs have been sent to registered livestock keepers. Furthermore, Animal Health has launched a public voice recorded information line which is intended to serve an audience who are unable to access the Defra website. The Defra Helpline is also available for all queries relating to FMD.

Defra officials are keen to receive any specific proposals from stakeholders and livestock keepers about how communication methods could be further improved in the event of a disease outbreak.

Foot and Mouth Disease: Compensation

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on compensation to farmers who have been affected by export bans arising from the most recent foot and mouth outbreak. [159654]

Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 19 October 2007]: It is a long established principle that the Government do not meet the costs of consequential losses which must be borne by the industry. However, we are acutely aware of the difficulties facing the industry at this time and my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State announced on 8 October a compensation package for England worth £12.5 million. This included £2 million to promote the sales of red meat and pork domestically and in our export markets.

Promoting consumption is an important first step towards recovery. Of the £2 million committed to domestic sales promotion, some will also go to facilitating and promoting exports, including looking further ahead to re-entering traditional third country markets.

We are in discussions with the British Pig Executive and the English Beef and Lamb Executive on how this can be spent most effectively. On 12 October, exports of meat to the EU were resumed from most of the country. We are working closely with the European Commission to decrease the restrictions that are in place on these exports, and to increase the area of the country where exports can take place from.

Foot and Mouth Disease: Shropshire

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will meet Shropshire farmers to discuss financial support following the foot and mouth outbreak in Surrey. [159162]

Jonathan Shaw: On 8 October, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs announced a support package worth £12.5 million to stimulate the market and assist those livestock farmers worst affected by restrictions imposed as a result of foot and mouth disease (FMD) 8 October 2007, Official Report, column 39.


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Additionally, we have taken a risk-based and staged approach to easing movement restrictions when the evidence indicates that it is appropriate to do so. This is the best way to facilitate the return to normal working for the industry. All FMD-related restrictions in Shropshire were lifted on 17 October.

No further announcements on financial support are planned, but the Secretary of State would be happy to meet the hon. Member and a delegation of Shropshire farmers. He has asked his diary secretary to contact the hon. Member's office.

Fuel Poverty

Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what changes there have been to the Government's approach to fuel poverty as a result of the new public service agreements. [161703]

Mr. Woolas: In line with new public service agreements (PSAs), fuel poverty has been announced as an indicator within Defra's and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform's departmental strategic objectives.

Fuel poverty is also incorporated within delivery agreements for Her Majesty's Treasury's Child Poverty PSA, Department for Work and Pension's Independence and Well-being in Later Life PSA, and Department of Health's Better Health and Well-being PSA.

The Government remain committed to tackling fuel poverty and promoting effective cross-departmental work to this end.

Government Departments: Combined Heat and Power

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the target to source 15 per cent. of the electricity consumed on the Government estate from combined heat and power by 2010 will be met; and if he will make a statement. [161801]

Mr. Woolas: The Government estates performance in meeting this target is assessed by the independent Sustainable Development Commission which concluded in its 2006 report that although an increasing number of Departments were procuring electricity from good quality combined heat and power in 2005-06, take-up remains at a low level. However, the applicability of this target depends on whether Departments in their energy procurement strategy have alternatively secured 100 per cent. renewable electricity. Since the overall goal for Government Departments is to reduce carbon emissions, improve energy efficiency plus increase usage of renewable energy resources, progress on this target should be seen in the context of the performance on energy overall.

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of electricity consumed on the Government estate is sourced from combined heat and power; and if he will make a statement. [161802]

Mr. Woolas: The Sustainable Development in Government (SDIG) Report 2006, published by the
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independent Sustainable Development Commission (SDC), which monitors how the Government manage sustainably their land and buildings notes that during the reporting period 2005-06, seven Departments sourced good quality combined heat and power (CHP). A total of 2.2 per cent. of electricity from the central Government estate for this reporting period was sourced from good quality CHP. Departmental data for 2006-07 will be published by the SDC in the new year.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department’s best practice policy is on the number of bids from contractors which should be obtained before a Warm Front grant may be given. [160846]

Mr. Woolas [holding answer 25 October 2007]: The appointment and management of contractors working on the Warm Front Scheme is undertaken by the Warm Front Scheme Manager, Eaga plc.

Contractors were selected at the beginning of the current phase of the Scheme in June 2005 via a comprehensive procurement exercise that complied with the requirements of the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU) tendering regulations.

Prices for Warm Front work were set centrally, on a regional basis, as part of the competitive tendering process. In August 2007, White Young Green (WYG), in their role as independent auditors of the Warm Front Scheme, completed a review of the price of gas central heating equipment provided under the Scheme (taking into account regional variances). This review indicated that the measures provided are cost competitive against the market average. This review will shortly be available on the DEFRA website.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how frequently Warm Front’s pricing structure for boiler and central heating installation is reviewed. [161195]

Mr. Woolas: Warm Front’s pricing structure for boiler and central heating installations was set by competitive tender in 2005, and was reviewed in June 2007.

In addition the independent scheme auditors, White Young Green, undertook a review of Warm Front prices against the wider market in August 2007. This review will be available on the DEFRA website shortly.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many boilers were replaced by the Warm Front programme in each of the last three years; and what the average cost was of a replacement boiler. [161198]

Mr. Woolas: The following table shows the number of replacement boilers installed, and their average cost, under Warm Front since the introduction of ‘heating for all Warm Front eligible clients’ in 2005.


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Period Number of boiler replacements Average c os t (£)

1 June 2005 to 31 March 2006

28,011

2,407.12

1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007

53,694

2,547.53

1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007

53,694

2,434.90


Coincidently, the number of boiler replacements for two of the aforementioned listed periods are the same. The average cost is different because the levels of labour involved in the replacement, and the capacity of the boiler, varies from household to household.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many new radiators were installed using Warm Front grants in each of the last three years; and for how many properties. [161214]

Mr. Woolas: The following table shows the number of new radiators installed using Warm Front grants since the introduction of heating for all Warm Front eligible clients in 2005:

Period Number of new radiators Number of households

1 June 2005 to 31 March 2006

48,554

11 ,049

1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007

160,743

36,714

1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007

93,356

23,218


John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Warm Front grants have been made (a) in total, (b) of the maximum £2,700 and (c) of under £2,700. [161215]

Mr. Woolas: Since the introduction of the £2,700 grant maxima for Warm Front in 2005:

(a) 478,617 grants have been made in total;

(b) In 74,957 cases the total cost of the works undertaken in that household has exceeded the grant maxima, and therefore, the full £2,700 has been utilised;

(c) In 403,633 cases less than the £2,700 grant available has been utilised.

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many quotes for boiler replacement by Warm Front exceeded £2,700 in each of the last three years. [161216]

Mr. Woolas: The following table shows the number of Warm Front quotes for boiler replacements that exceeded 2,700, since the introduction of heating for all Warm Front eligible clients in 2005.

Period Number of quotes exceeding £2,700

1 June 2005 to 31 March 2006

364

1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007

10,755

1 April 2007 to 30 September 2007

12,458


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Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Contracts

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) which companies won the tender to supply boiler and central heating installations for Warm Front; and where they are located; [161253]

(2) how many companies participated in the competitive tendering bid to win the Warm Front boiler and central heating installation contract; and where they are located. [161255]

Mr. Woolas [holding answer 29 October 2007]: Following a Defra managed competitive tendering process, two contracts were awarded for the supply of materials to the Warm Front scheme.

The successful bidders were Graham Group (Saint-Gobain) which has headquarters in Binley, and Plumb Centre (Wolseley) which has headquarters in Leamington Spa. Both suppliers have local distribution centres nationwide.

30 companies were invited to participate in the pre-qualification, following which eight were invited to bid, four submitted bids. The appointment of Warm Front installers is carried out by the Warm Front scheme manager, Eaga plc. A total of 218 companies bid to work on the scheme with 83 appointed to work on central heating. These installers are based across the country.

Mr. Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which contractors are used by the Warm Front scheme in the East Midlands. [161426]

Mr. Woolas: The following 30 contractors are used by the Warm Front Scheme in the East Midlands:

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list all current Warm Front contractors; and what the value was of each contract for the 2006-07 financial year. [161749]

Mr. Woolas: The following information shows a list of current Warm Front Scheme contractors . It is not possible to indicate the value of each contract for the last financial year at a reasonable cost.

Company


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