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7 Feb 2008 : Column 1333W—continued
| Flat Panel( 1) IDTV's s | |||
| £ | |||
| 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | |
| (1) EST have only included IDTVs in the ESR scheme in 2006 Source: HHIC | |||
| Sales only | |||
| £ | |||
| 2004-05 | 2005-6 | 2006-7 | |
| £ | |||
| 2004-05 | 2005-6 | 2006-7 | |
| £ | |||
| 2004-05 | 2005-6 | 2006-7 | |
| n/a = Not available (1) Pro Rated for England only Source: Gfk | |||
Energy: Environment Protection
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department has carried out into the environmental effects of the new consumer energy display units and the integration of such units into current energy suppliers’ infrastructure. [184774]
Mr. Woolas: DEFRA commissioned a review on “the Effectiveness of Feedback on Energy Consumption” which is published on the DEFRA website. This established that direct feedback from a display unit can result in energy savings of approximately 5 to 15 per cent. This was greater than indirect feedback from more frequent, accurate bills, associated with smart meters, which was around 0 to 10 per cent.
The review also found that consumers using display units are less likely to leave appliances on stand-by, whereas indirect feedback from information on bills allows consumers to understand changes from improved insulation.
The integration of display units into energy suppliers’ infrastructure is a commercial matter for the energy companies.
Flood Control: Finance
Mr. Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how much has been allocated for flood prevention schemes for (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2009-10; [184872]
(2) by what procedures local authorities can gain access to central government funds to undertake flood prevention work; [184873]
(3) what statutory obligations require local authorities to undertake (a) flood prevention and (b) flood remediation works; [184874]
(4) what statutory obligations require (a) water and (b) drainage services to undertake flood prevention work; [184875]
(5) what statutory obligations require local authorities and utility services to cooperate on flooding issues; [184876]
(6) by what procedures residents' associations and other non-governmental local bodies can access (a) central and (b) local government funds for (i) flood prevention and (ii) flood remediation schemes. [184877]
Mr. Woolas: Local authorities have permissive powers (but no statutory obligation) to undertake works to manage flood risk from the sea and from watercourses for which the Environment Agency and internal drainage boards do not hold such powers.
Under section 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991 water and sewerage companies are responsible for the effectual drainage of foul and surface water arising from the drains of premises connected to the public sewerage system. Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, during flood events, Category 2 responders—which includes utilities—have a general duty to co-operate and share information with Category 1 responders, which includes local authorities as well as emergency services and the Environment Agency.
£439 million has been allocated to the Environment Agency for flood risk management in 2007-08 and £21 million to local authorities and internal drainage boards for capital improvement projects to reduce flood risk. Further funding is provided through the local government funding mechanism operated by Communities and Local Government to support local authorities' non-capital flood risk management activities and from DEFRA to local authorities for capital projects to reduce risk of coastal erosion which often also provide significant flood risk benefits.
The statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 4 February 2008, Official Report, column 50WS, details funding allocations for flood and coastal erosion risk management in future years. Specific allocations within the totals in the statement have not yet been made.
DEFRA capital funding to local authorities for flood risk and coast protection projects is administered by the Environment Agency which is currently considering allocations based on returns submitted by the authorities last summer. As part of this process all local authorities were invited to submit returns indicating the cost and outcome of potential projects.
DEFRA funding is not available directly to other organisations although we are currently undertaking a pilot project investigating the feasibility of a grant scheme to assist householders to install flood resilience measures in their homes. Local authorities have some flexibility to provide discretionary assistance for repairs and adaptations.
Food: Origin Marking
Mr. Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on the level of public support for country of origin food labelling. [184812]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 5 February 2008]: DEFRA will continue to liaise closely with the Food Standards Agency on the proposals emerging from the European Union's review of food labelling, which include origin labelling.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs why the installation of central heating in the property of Mrs. Betty Mays, of West Stockwith under the Warm Front scheme has been delayed. [184965]
Mr. Woolas: Mrs. Mays contacted Warm Front on 19 November 2007 to request assistance following the failure of her heating system. A replacement boiler installation was completed on 29 January 2008.
This work was within the 120 working day target time scale for the Warm Front scheme.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Grants
Mr. Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) households and (b) rural households in England received Warm Front grants in each year since the introduction of the Warm Front scheme; and what the average value of a Warm Front grant to (i) mains gas-connected households and (ii) a household off the gas network in England was in each year. [184905]
Mr. Woolas: The number of assisted households up to December 2007 is set out in the following table. The figures for rural households prior to 2005 do not include households from the eastern region of England, as this data are unavailable.
| Assisted households | Rural households | |
The following table summarises the average value of a Warm Front grant to (i) mains gas-connected households and (ii) households off the gas network in England.
| £ | ||
| Average grant (off gas) | Average grant (mains gas- connected) | |
Horses: Animal Welfare
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what files are held by his Department on (a) the Horses, Ponies and Donkeys Bill of Session 1987-88, (b) the Horses, Ponies and Donkeys (No. 2) Bill of Session 1987-88 and (c) the Protection Against Cruel Tethering Act 1988; and if he will make a statement. [180776]
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA has one file covering all three pieces of legislation.
Horses: Transport
Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will raise in the EU Council of Ministers the distance which live horses are being transported across Europe to slaughter. [180455]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 21 January 2008]: It has long been Government policy that we prefer the export of meat rather than live animal exports for slaughter. New animal welfare measures came into effect in January 2007 with the implementation of EC Regulation 1/2005 on the welfare of animals during transportation. The provisions include important horse welfare measures that the UK put forward and which were supported by horse welfare organisations.
We were disappointed that the new regulation did not include the provision for shorter journey times to final destination that we were seeking, but member states were unable to reach agreement on this. However, it now seems likely that the regulation’s review will be brought forward to 2009 instead of 2011 as originally intended. During this review, we will be looking for reduced journey times for horses and other animals. Consequently, it would be premature to raise the issue with other European Ministers at this stage.
Housing: Rural Areas
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will make a decision on the proposed Rural Housing Challenge Fund; what assessment he has made of the effect of the time taken to make the decision on rural housing enablers and the delivery of his Department's policies on affordable rural housing; and if he will make a statement. [184842]
Jonathan Shaw: As part of its preparations for the comprehensive spending review (CSR) during the summer of 2007, DEFRA asked the Housing Corporation to provide advice on the feasibility of a potential funding programme to improve the delivery of affordable rural housing at local level. That advice will be carefully considered in decisions about departmental spending priorities over the CSR period. No decisions about the fund have yet been made. We are currently finalising the Department’s overall funding package and an announcement will be made shortly.
Rural Housing Enablers are among the wide variety of projects funded through the two-year Rural Social and Community Programme, which will close, as planned, in March this year. Programme guidance, published in 2005, noted that all projects should draw up an ‘exit strategy’ to identify how they would develop beyond the time-limited period of the programme.
The clear vision for the long-term future of Rural Housing Enablers has always been that they should be supported at local level by the very local authorities and Housing Associations whose rural delivery they exist to support. This is happening in many areas. However, these funding decisions are at the discretion of local delivery agents.
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