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13 Mar 2008 : Column 622W—continued
The estimated UK generating capacity of solar photovoltaics and micro wind generation are not available broken down by region. There is only one site using the energy from geothermal sources in the UK and this does not generate electricity.
Renewable Energy: Finance
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the annual turnover of the (a) wind power, (b) solar photovoltaics and (c) geothermal technologies industries was in each of the last five years (i) in total and (ii) broken down by region; and if he will make a statement. [192948]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department does not hold statistics for the annual turnover of the wind power, solar photovoltaics and geothermal technologies industries.
Renewable Energy: Manpower
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people were employed in the (a) wind power, (b) solar photovoltaics and (c) geothermal technologies industries in the UK in each of the last five years (i) in total and (ii) broken down by region; and if he will make a statement. [192946]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department does not hold statistics on the numbers of people employed in the UK wind power, solar photovoltaics and geothermal technology industries during the last five years.
Renewable Energy: Standards
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the UK's ability to meet its share of the 2020 EU renewable energy target. [193670]
Malcolm Wicks: Agreement has not yet been reached on the contribution that each member state (including the UK) will make toward the EU 2020 target, but we are fully committed to meeting our fair share. We will consult in the summer on policy options to meet our contribution and publish our full renewable energy strategy the following spring once the EU directive has been agreed.
Solar Power: Heating
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the total thermal capacity of installed solar heating technology in the UK was in each of the last five years (a) in total and (b) broken down by region; and if he will make a statement. [192937]
Malcolm Wicks: Available statistics on solar thermal heating cover its output rather than its capacity. These estimates are available only at the UK level and not regionally. They are:
| Thousand tonnes of oil equivalent | |
| Source: Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics, 2007, Table 7.7 | |
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the annual turnover of the solar heating industry was in each of the last five years (a) in total and (b) broken down by region; and if he will make a statement. [192938]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department does not hold the information on the annual turnover of the solar heating industry.
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people were employed in the solar heating industry in each of the last five years (a) in total and (b) broken down by region; and if he will make a statement. [192939]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department does not hold information on the number of people employed in the solar heating industry.
Training: Employment
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussions he has had with Ministerial colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions on (a) numbers and (b) training of the local workforce in relation to the development of the (i) Oikos and (ii) Calor Gas Canvey Island site for (A) biodiesel and glycerine and (B) LNG transfer, processing and storage. [190502]
Malcolm Wicks: There has been no discussion with ministerial colleagues in the Department for Work and Pensions on these issues.
Wind Power
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will estimate the number of days annually on which wind speed is insufficient to provide any usable power from wind generation in each area in which wind farms are located. [175776]
Malcolm Wicks: No such assessment has been made, However, a windspeed database is available on BERR's website at:
The geographical dispersion of wind farms means that the probability of having no wind across the entire country is extremely low.
A 2005 report by the Environmental Change Institute of the university of Oxford, on behalf of the DTI (now BERR) found that a typical wind turbine
will generate electricity for 80 per cent. of the time. Wind power availability is greater during winter than at other times of the year, and is on average stronger during the day than overnight.
Tom Levitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many Vestas-type wind turbines have been built in the UK; and what recent checks on their safety have been carried out. [191864]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department does not keep statistics according to the brand of wind turbine. However, according to the British Wind Energy Association the number of onshore and offshore Vestas-type wind turbines that have been erected in the UK to date is 1,182.
Vestas carries out detailed safety inspections as part of a documented service and maintenance regime. In addition Vestas has taken the additional precautionary measure of implementing a Critical Component Inspection regime on all their turbines.
International Development
Afghanistan: Overseas Aid
Dr. Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what formal mechanisms exist for non-governmental organisations funded by his Department to provide feedback on the effectiveness of UK aid in Afghanistan. [193310]
Mr. Malik: In the UK, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) meet quarterly with representatives of the UK Government on Afghanistan. These meetings are an opportunity for the UK Government to update NGO stakeholders on the UK strategy and progress in Afghanistan; and for the UK Government to receive feedback on all elements of the comprehensive approach, including on DFID’s aid programme.
In Afghanistan, 97 members from the national and international humanitarian, reconstruction and development NGOs community are co-ordinated by the agency co-ordinating body for Afghan relief (ACBAR). Some NGOs are implementers of DFID funded, but Government owned, national priority programmes. ACBAR are represented at monthly meetings of lead donors and Afghan Government representatives on the Government of Afghanistan’s own plan for reconstruction and development, the Afghanistan national development strategy.
Burma: Overseas Aid
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect on the delivery of UK restrictions imposed by the Burmese military regime on international aid agencies working inside Burma. [193403]
Mr. Malik:
All aid agencies working in Burma have to operate within a context of restrictions on travel by international staff and difficulties for international
non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in obtaining memoranda of understanding (MOUs) from the Burmese regime.
In recent weeks the regime has emphasised the importance it attaches to international NGOs in Burma operating strictly within the terms of their MOUs. In January, the Ministry of Health held a meeting to remind NGOs of their existing guidelines. Since then, most NGOs have been able to continue their work effectively. More recently however a number of NGOs have been asked to curtail particular aspects of their operations in some parts of the country. These additional restrictions appear to be related to the regime’s sensitivities over external contacts with Burmese civil society in advance of the constitutional referendum planned for May.
The Department for International Development, along with other donors in Burma, are keeping the situation closely under review.
Global Plan to Stop TB Partnership: Finance
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department plans to provide to the Global Plan to Stop TB Partnership for the financial years 2008 to 2010. [193706]
Gillian Merron: The Global Plan to Stop Tuberculosis (TB) is a roadmap for combating TB; it lays out the actions and resources needed to halve TB prevalence and deaths by 2015. It does not directly receive funding.
The Department for International Development supports the Global Plan through several funding channels, including the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, UNITAID, the international drug purchase facility, and the Stop TB Partnership.
The Department will shortly finalise its budget for the next three financial years—including support to the Stop TB Partnership.
Sudan: Overseas Aid
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the objectives of the Darfur community peace and stability fund are; when Government funding will be provided to the fund; whether non-governmental organisations will be involved in delivering the objectives of the fund; and if he will make a statement. [193359]
Mr. Douglas Alexander: The Darfur community peace and stability fund (DCPSF) aims to support local level peace building and reconciliation through the provision of essential services and livelihood support. The fund will operate in areas where there is local security and where community leaders have committed to a dialogue on peace.
The UK pledged £5 million to the DCPSF on 28 October 2007, and we expect to disburse £1 million by April 2008.
The UK is on the DCPSF steering committee, which includes non-governmental organisations (NGOs), donors and the United Nations (UN). Projects will be implemented by NGOs and UN agencies.
UN Convention Against Corruption
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) successful and (b) unsuccessful prosecutions have been brought since the adoption of the UN convention on corruption in cases related to the provisions of the convention. [192984]
Mr. Thomas: No specific statistics are held on prosecutions related to criminal offences covered by the UN convention against corruption.
Justice
Departmental Pay
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much was claimed in reimbursable expenses by senior civil service staff in his Department and its agencies in the last 12-month period for which figures are available. [187543]
Maria Eagle: The Department has a team within its human resources division that deals with all SCS issues. This team does not keep records of reimbursable expenses. The information is not separately identifiable within the Department’s accounts as there are no separate accounting lines for senior civil service staff.
The information requested may be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Departments and agencies have authority to reimburse expenses incurred by their staff in connection with their employment, subject to the conditions set out in section 8 of the civil service management code which state that departments and agencies must:
reimburse staff only for expenses which they actually and necessarily incur in the course of official business;
comply with the additional conditions and rules on travel, relocation expenses, compensation for loss or damage to property, and overseas expenses set out in sections 8.2 to 8.6 of the Code; and
ensure that their rules provide for claiming recompense, including verification and authorisation.
All expenditure on expenses is made in accordance with published departmental guidance on financial procedures and propriety that are based on the principles set out in Government Accounting and supported by the Department’s published internal guidance.
Departmental Plants
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department spent on pot plants in each of the last five years. [192054]
Maria Eagle: The MoJ has spent the following amounts on pot plants in each of the last five years. A breakdown of the figures prior to and including the financial year 2004-2005 is not available and to obtain them would incur a disproportionate cost.
| £ (including VAT) | |
Departmental Public Expenditure
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether consideration has been given to applying gender-responsive budgeting to his Department's budget. [192101]
Mr. Wills: The UK Government are supportive of efforts to achieve gender equality and continues to work very closely with both the Women’s National Commission and the Women’s Budget Group on promoting gender equality within the UK.
In 2004, HM Treasury undertook a pilot project on gender analysis of expenditure with the Women’s Budget Group. The project demonstrated the value of gender analysis in some areas and identified what tools and expertise were necessary within government to carry out gender analysis, but that further work was needed before gender responsive budgeting could be implemented.
In 2008, HM Treasury will be conducting further work that will determine whether it is prudent and feasible to disaggregate Departmental expenditure statistics by gender.
This Department takes seriously its responsibilities to promote equality of opportunity between men and women and to eliminate unlawful discrimination and harassment and will shortly be publishing its gender equality scheme, the first since the creation of the Ministry of Justice, which will set out a range of activity in support of these aims.
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