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25 Mar 2008 : Column 127W—continued
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Finance
Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total budget was for the Warm Front Grant scheme in the financial years (a) 2003-04, (b) 2004-05, (c) 2005-06, (d) 2006-07 and (e) 2007-08, broken down by local authority area. [195123]
Mr. Woolas: The total Warm Front budget for the years requested is outlined as follows:
| Scheme year | Approximate total spend/budget (£ million) |
Because Warm Front is a national scheme, budgets are not allocated to individual local authority areas.
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent on the Warm Front scheme in each year since its inception; and what funding has been allocated to the scheme in each of the next three years. [195293]
Mr. Woolas: Warm Front spend since the scheme's inception in 2000 is as follows:
| Scheme year | Approximate total spend/budget (£ million ) |
Warm Front's budget for the 2008-11 period is approximately £800 million. However, the yearly breakdown over this period has not yet been finalised.
Housing: Energy
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether spending on the Green Homes Service will be additional to spending on Warm Front; and what budget has been allocated to the service in each of the next three years. [195294]
Mr. Woolas: We will be providing over £100 million in the next three years to the Energy Saving Trust to develop a proactive Green Homes Service, based on a regional network of "one-stop shops". The service will provide advice not only on energy efficiency but also on microgeneration, water efficiency, recycling and greener travel, and easy access to an energy audit and the full range of discounted and free offers available. The funding will be additional to spending on Warm Front.
Pest Control: Devon
Mr. Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make available funds from within existing budgets for home owners in Devon to erect electric fences and other measures to repel badgers. [194676]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 20 March 2008]: DEFRA has no plans to make funds available for home-owners in Devon to erect electric fences or other measures to repel badgers.
Planning Permission: Upchurch
Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Environment Agency on usage of Four Gun Field in Upchurch, Sittingbourne. [195636]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 20 March 2008]: The Environment Agency has not been approached regarding this site. However, it has had discussions with the Swale borough and Kent county councils.
Ports: Inspections
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff were based in each of his Department's port offices in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [193200]
Jonathan Shaw: The retrospective information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate costs.
The current staffing levels in each of the port offices is as follows:
| Number | |
We have not included details of fishery officer staff based in Wales as they transfer to the Welsh Assembly Government on 1 April 2008. Administrative staff based in Wales are already employees of the Welsh Assembly Government.
Information on previous years is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Resomation
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the environmental benefits of the disposal of bodies via resomation; and if he will make a statement. [195155]
Mr. Woolas: At present we are unable to give an indication of environmental risk. To do this the companies providing this service would need to supply a detailed analysis of the products from the process and to liaise with the appropriate regulator.
Rural Payments Agency: Consultants
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Rural Payments Agency has spent on external consultants in each of the last three years; and what the cost was of each engagement. [188008]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 21 March 2008]: The amounts spent on external consultants by the Rural Payments Agency in each of the last three years are shown in the following table:
| £ | ||||
| Financial Year | ||||
| Supplier name | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 3 year totals |
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Iran
11. Mr. Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent election results in Iran and their likely impact on UK-Iran relations. [196054]
Dr. Howells: The parliamentary elections in Iran were neither free nor fair. Over a third of all prospective candidates were disqualified by the so-called Guardian Council prior to the elections. The people of Iran were denied their democratic right to choose freely from the full range of political views.
Iran needs to take action to address international concerns, including the democratic shortcomings and lack of fundamental freedoms inside the country.
Burma
12. Ann Clwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the political situation in Burma. [196055]
Meg Munn: The Government continue to be deeply concerned by the political situation in Burma. The regime’s proposed referendum on a new constitution in May, and elections in 2010, will not bring peace, stability and national reconciliation to Burma. By excluding the opposition and the ethnic groups, the process will entrench division rather than unite Burma. The regime has made no progress towards meeting the demands set out by the UN Security Council in October 2007.
Pakistan
13. Mr. Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the political situation in Pakistan. [196056]
Dr. Howells: Parliamentary and provincial elections took place in Pakistan on 18 February. It was an important opportunity for the people of Pakistan to exercise their democratic voice. The political parties—Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Awami National Party—have said publicly that they will form a coalition and work together. A new assembly has been called and elections for the speaker took place on 18 March. The announcement of the new Prime Minister is expected soon.
US Ballistic Missile Defence Programme
14. Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the US Administration on development of their ballistic missile defence programme in the UK. [196057]
Dr. Howells: I refer the hon. Member to chapter 4, section 4.68 of the recently published National Security Strategy which deals with the United Kingdom’s response to the current and emerging security challenges. We already contribute to ballistic missile early warning through the facilities at RAF Fylingdales and RAF Menwith Hill, and we regularly discuss with the US ongoing support.
Israel
15. Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many representations he has made since 1 January 2008 to the Government of Israel on Israeli action against the Palestinian community. [196058]
Dr. Howells: The UK makes regular representations to the Government of Israel regarding their actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territories via the UK embassy in Tel Aviv and the Israeli embassy in London. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made numerous public statements and personally spoken to members of the Israeli Government, including Foreign Minister Livni and Defence Minister Barak, six times since January 2008 on this issue.
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