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29 Nov 2007 : Column 592W—continued
Opinion Leader Research
Mrs. May: To ask the Prime Minister how many contracts were awarded by his Office to Opinion Leader Research in each year since 1997; and what was (a) the title and purpose, (b) the cost to the public purse and (c) the dates of (i) tender, (ii) award, (iii) operation and (iv) completion and report to the Department in each case. [165325]
The Prime Minister: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to her by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 26 November 2007, Official Report, column 132W.
Security Guards: Illegal Immigrants
Mr. Gauke: To ask the Prime Minister when he was first informed that illegal migrant workers had been given clearance to work in sensitive security posts. [168605]
The Prime Minister: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis) on 19 November 2007, Official Report, column 578W.
Terrorism
Mr. Vara: To ask the Prime Minister (1) on what dates he has consulted the (a) Director of Public Prosecutions, (b) the Attorney-General and (c) the Solicitor-General on Government proposals to increase the number of days a suspect may be held under anti-terror legislation since June 2007; [169253]
(2) when he last met the Director of Public Prosecutions to discuss counter-terrorism policy. [169701]
The Prime Minister: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects.
Trade Unions
Mr. Vara: To ask the Prime Minister how many meetings he has had with trades union leaders since 27 June; which leaders he met; when and where such meetings took place; and if he will make a statement. [169286]
The Prime Minister: My officials and I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals on a range of subjects.
Uganda: Human Rights
Mr. Drew: To ask the Prime Minister what representations he made to President Museveni during the Commonwealth Heads of State Conference on (a) the human rights situation in Uganda and (b) the peace talks with the Lord's Resistance Army. [168062]
The Prime Minister: I discussed a wide range of issues with President Museveni during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Uganda including the UK Government's support of the Juba peace talks.
World Cup: Football
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 13 November 2007, Official Report, column 232W, on World Cup, what the dates were of meetings since 28 June held between him or officials working on his behalf and the Football Association at which the appointment of the Government's World Cup ambassador was discussed. [167840]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 13 November 2007, Official Report, column 232W.
Written Questions
Norman Baker: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to the answers of 19 November 2007, Official Report, column 577W, on (a) mass media and (b) departmental official engagements, for what reasons he did not provide the information requested in the questions. [169625]
The Prime Minister: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 19 November 2007, Official Report, column 577W.
Public Accounts Commission
Government Departments: Data Protection
Mr. Burstow: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission what assessment has been made of the efficacy of data protection practice to safeguard against the unauthorised release of data which have been adopted by Government departments and agencies when subject to audit by the National Audit Office. [170030]
Mr. Alan Williams: This is not a matter for the Commission. The Comptroller and Auditor General has, by statute, complete discretion in the discharge of his functions, and the Commission therefore does not intervene in the day to day running of the National Audit Office. The hon. Member may wish to write to the Comptroller and Auditor General.
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Alternative Energy: Standards
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the Government's capacity targets are for the commercial development of (a) wave energy and (b) tidal energy in UK waters by (i) 2012, (ii) 2020 and (iii) 2030. [166961]
Malcolm Wicks: The Government have not set capacity targets for individual technologies but provide a range of support measures to facilitate the development of wave and tidal energy.
These include £35 million already committed for innovative industry-led technology development under the Technology Strategy Board's technology programme and £50 million under BERR's marine renewables deployment fund to support the first larger-scale demonstration projects.
We have consulted on banding the RO so as to provide greater levels of support to these emerging renewable technologies.
Defence: Exports
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the value was of defence exports in each of the last five years for which full year data are available; and if he will provide a table showing (a) the UK share of the global defence exports market in each year and (b) the split by (i) number and (ii) value of contracts in sterling between government-to-government contracts or agreements and non-government-to-government contracts or agreements. [168382]
Mr. Bob Ainsworth [holding answer 26 November 2007]: I have been asked to reply.
The following table shows our estimate of the share of the global defence market for which UK exports account in the years 2002 to 2006.
| UK market share (Percentage) | |
The value of orders won by UK industry is shown in UK Defence Statistics 2007, Table 1.14. A copy of which is available in the Library of the House and also online at:
The other information is not held in the format requested. We estimate, however, that around two-fifths of the value of UK defence exports in the years 2002 to 2006 relates to business under government-to-government agreements. During these years three such agreements have contributed to this overall share of UK exports.
Fuel Poverty
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he plans to publish the Annual Progress Report for 2007 on the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy. [166771]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 21 November 2007]: The Government will publish shortly their annual progress report on fuel poverty covering 2005 which will include statistics of households in fuel poverty in England in 2005.
Microgeneration
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of the UK's electricity is supplied from sources using microgeneration technologies; and if he will make a statement. [167003]
Malcolm Wicks: In 2006, five gigawatts of installed capacity of renewables produced 4.5 per cent. of electricity generated in the United Kingdom. We estimate that there are approximately 100,000 microgeneration installations in the United Kingdom. However specific figures for the amount of electricity generated by microgeneration are not available.
Natural Gas: Distribution
Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent estimate he has made of the number of households with access to mains gas supply. [167507]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 27 November 2007]: My Department does not hold information about the number of households that have access to mains gas, whether or not they take it up. Ofgem's Domestic Retail Market Report (June 2007) states that there are 21.5 million domestic gas customer accounts in Great Britain.
Power Stations
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what research his Department has undertaken on the capacity of existing power station sites in the UK to accommodate (a) nuclear new build and (b) renewable technologies. [168174]
Malcolm Wicks: As part of the Government's preparations for the 2006 Energy Review report, the Department commissioned Jackson Consulting to produce a discussion paper looking at the issues that would be relevant to the siting of any new nuclear power stations. The paper included a preliminary assessment of the suitability of existing nuclear power station sites for any new build and also included the suggestion that opportunities for new build might exist at other power station sites. The paper, which represents the views of the authors Jackson Consulting alone, was published by the Department on its website on 23 May 2007 as a background paper to the Government's consultation on the future of nuclear power.
The Department is currently considering responses to the consultation on nuclear power. If the Government were to confirm their preliminary view that it would be in the public interest to allow private sector energy companies the option of investing in new nuclear power stations, we have proposed to undertake a strategic siting assessment (SSA), in combination with a strategic environmental assessment, to develop robust, objective and transparent criteria for assessing the suitability of sites for new nuclear power stations.
On renewables, in July 2006 the Department published on its website a study by IPA and Mitsui Babcock into the economics of co-firing, the ability of existing fossil fuel stations to burn a proportion of biomass to generate electricity.
Renewable Energy: Seas and Oceans
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) if he will modify the operation of the Marine Renewables Development fund (a) to accommodate the changing needs of British renewable companies and (b) to develop a marine energy industry in the UK; [166973]
(2) how much of the Marine Renewables Development Fund has been allocated to date; and to which schemes funds have been allocated. [167033]
Malcolm Wicks: The Marine Renewables Deployment Fund (MRDF) provides support for early commercial scale wave and tidal-stream demonstration projects. To date no individual demonstration projects have been supported under the MRDF as progress towards full commercialisation of these technologies has been slower than expected. The MRDF has offered £4.5 million support to the proposed Wave Hub project (at:
and £2 million has been allocated to a programme of environmental research for these technologies.
The Renewables Advisory Board is currently conducting a review of the marine sector including reasons for the low take-up to date of the MRDF. A final report is expected later this year and we will consider any recommendations carefully.
Wave Power
Mr. Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the contribution of wave and tidal energy towards meeting renewable targets; and if he will amend the system of renewable obligation certificates for the renewable energy sector to encourage the development of wave and tidal energy. [167036]
Malcolm Wicks: A report by the Carbon Trust ‘Future Marine Energy’ at:
estimated that together offshore wave and tidal-steam energy has the potential to meet between 15 per cent. and 20 per cent. of current UK electricity.
The Government are currently considering the responses to the consultation on our proposals to amend the renewables obligation to provide greater levels of support for emerging technologies including wave and tidal energy.
Wind Power
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many wind farms there are in (a) Ribble Valley, ( b) Lancashire and (c) England. [168304]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 26 November 2007]: There are no wind farms in the Ribble Valley. However, there are three wind farms in Lancashire and one of these, Caton Moor, is near the Ribble Valley. England has a total of 148 wind farms.
Northern Ireland
Crimes of Violence: Northern Ireland
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the level of violent crime in Northern Ireland in each of the last three years. [163161]
Paul Goggins: The number of violent crimes recorded by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in the last three years is as follows:
| Number of violent crimes | |
Violent crime includes offences against the person such as, murder, manslaughter, wounding with intent and GBH with intent. It also includes sexual offences such as, rape and indecent assault on a female, robbery and hijacking.
The Northern Ireland Policing Plan 2007 to 2010, commits the PSNI to reducing the total number of violent crimes by 2 per cent. by 31 March 2008. Targets are measured against a baseline at 31 March 2007.
Excellent progress has been made against this target; violent crimes recorded by the police have been reduced by 15.7 per cent. for the first six months of this year, compared with the same period last year.
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