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23 Apr 2008 : Column 2056W—continued
Solar Energy
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what progress his Department is making towards the Government’s goal of catching up with solar photovoltaic programmes in Japan and Germany; and if he will make a statement. [199379]
Malcolm Wicks: Japan and Germany have significantly larger solar photovoltaic markets than the UK. This Department has spent over £35 million to support solar photovoltaic installations and field trials since 2000. Currently the solar photovoltaic market benefits, with other micro-generation technologies, from the £86 million Low Carbon Buildings programme.
More information on photovoltaic developments in the UK in comparison to Japan and Germany are available on the International Energy Agency website:
Video Games
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many (a) UK-owned and (b) non-UK owned video games development companies were based in the UK in each year since 1997. [196878]
Malcolm Wicks: Data on the video and computer games sector are not regularly collated or in fact readily available to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, particularly as the sector has not had its own separate Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code. A new SIC code for computer games has now been agreed though it will not be possible for this to deliver data until 2010 at the earliest.
However in 2002 the Department of Trade and Industry published “From Exuberant Youth to Sustainable Maturity”, a full competitiveness analysis of the computer
games sector commissioned from independent consultants, Spectrum Strategy. This report showed that in 2000 there were approximately 270 games development companies in the UK, the vast majority independent (and indigenous) studios with fewer than 22 employees. Four overseas-owned companies with games studios in the UK were identified in the report.
In October 2007 UKTI published “Playing for Keeps”, a report commissioned from independent consultants Games Investor which included a range of valuable new data on the competitiveness of the UK games development sector compared to key competitor territories including the US and Canada. This report showed that in 2006 there were 160 independent (indigenous) games development companies in the UK. The report also identified two UK-owned games publishers which have one or more games development studios here. However, the number of games development studios in the UK owned by overseas companies was not specified.
Duchy of Lancaster
Working Hours
Mrs. Maria Miller: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the average number of hours worked by (a) full-time and (b) part-time employees per week was in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by region. [200580]
Edward Miliband: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the Authority to reply.
Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 22 April 2008:
As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question about the average number of hours worked by (a) full-time and (b) part-time employees per week, in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by region. (200580)
The attached table gives the average number of hours worked per week for the categories requested for the three month period ending December 2007, broken down by Government Office Region.
Each quarter ONS publishes regional estimates of the average actual weekly hours of work for all people in employment in main and second jobs. Please visit the following link;
It should be noted that the estimates provided in the attached table are grossed using population estimates consistent with those published in 2003. We are in the process of concluding the reweighting of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) according to the latest population estimates. Reweighted data using 2007 population estimates will become publicly available on 14 May 2008.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Departmental Alcoholic Drinks
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs at how many events held by his Department (a) wine and (b) Fairtrade wine were served in the last three years; and what assessment his Department has made of the merits of serving Fairtrade wine at future events. [196943]
Jonathan Shaw: There is no information held centrally that indicates the total number of events held by the Department at which (a) wine and (b) Fairtrade wine were served in the last three years. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
There are no mandatory requirements in place for the procurement/provision of Fairtrade products by Government Departments, but the Government are committed to improving market access to producers in developing countries through increased participation in fair and sustainable supply chains. Fairtrade products can be supplied to Government Departments consistent with value for money principles and the EU public procurement rules.
Departmental ICT
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has given advice to staff in his Department to switch off personal computers when not in use. [200052]
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA places a high importance on IT energy efficiency measures and seeks to make savings wherever possible.
(a) Instructions to staff have been provided in a number of ways. As part of our ‘big switch’ energy efficiency campaign at the start of 2006, we combined online and poster messaging to inform and change staff behaviour to make sure all computers and other electrical equipment is switched off. Seasonal messages are broadcast on DEFRA’s intranet to ensure staff turn off equipment over holiday periods. Information and instructions on energy saving measures appear on DEFRA’s intranet and stickers are placed on computer screens reminding staff to switch off their monitors. There are also
checks carried out by Security Guards on the London estate on their normal night time patrols who switch off machines if found to be powered up without explanation.
(b) DEFRA is currently undertaking trials of timer switches on power sockets for printers and copiers. It is also preparing to roll-out a Vista based desktop environment within which it will deploy Vista’s inbuilt group policy options to enforce a default switch to the Vista ‘hibernate’ and ‘sleep’ modes after a pre-set elapsed time of inactivity.
We are also ensuring in the same settings that monitors are similarly switched back to their standby power saving mode.
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 28 February 2008, Official Report, column 1855W on departmental ICT, to the hon. Member for Northavon (Steve Webb), what estimate he has made of the volume of carbon dioxide emissions his Department saved as a result of the “big switch” energy efficiency campaign in (a) 2005, (b) 2006 and (c) 2007. [200046]
Jonathan Shaw [holding answer 21 April 2008]: DEFRA’s Sustainable Development Unit organised the “big switch” campaign which ran from January to March 2006. The event aimed to change behaviours in staff by highlighting where we could all save energy. Although it is not possible to measure the precise behaviour change impact of the “big switch” campaign, an estimated 392 tonnes of CO2 was saved in the London and York buildings comparing the same period for 2005 to 2006.
Departmental Legislation
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criminal offences have been abolished by primary legislation sponsored by his Department and its predecessors since May 1997. [198292]
Jonathan Shaw: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However no DEFRA sponsored primary legislation has received Royal Assent in 2007 or until now in 2008, and hence no offences have been abolished by DEFRA sponsored primary legislation during this period.
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criminal offences have been created by primary legislation sponsored by his Department since July 2007. [198312]
Jonathan Shaw: No DEFRA sponsored primary legislation has received Royal Assent since 1 July 2007, and hence no offences have been created by DEFRA sponsored primary legislation since that date.
Departmental Official Cars
Mr. Kemp: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what make and model of car (a) he and (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were applied when making the decision in each case. [192377]
Jonathan Shaw: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him by the Under-Secretary of State for Transport my hon. Friend the Member for Poplar and Canning Town (Jim Fitzpatrick) on 10 March 2008, Official Report, column 8.
Departmental Property
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Angus of 19 March 2008, Official Report, columns 1124-26W, on departmental property, from which location the 42 inch plasma screen television went missing in 2004-05; and whether it was lost or stolen. [198091]
Jonathan Shaw: The plasma screen television was taken from Nobel House, DEFRA’s offices in Smith Square. It is believed to have been stolen. The matter was reported to the police.
JP Morgan
David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department and its predecessors paid to JP Morgan in each year since 1997; and what the purpose of each payment was. [199617]
Jonathan Shaw: From information held centrally, the core Department’s financial systems record no payments made to JP Morgan since DEFRA came into being in June 2001.
Karian and Box
Mr. Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the value was of each contract awarded by his Department and its predecessors to Karian and Box since 1997. [199647]
Jonathan Shaw: DEFRA came into being in June 2001. The core Department has no record of any contracts awarded to Karian and Box.
Natural England: Sites of Special Scientific Interest
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to publish the model byelaw to enable Natural England to use its powers under section 28R of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, as amended by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006, in respect of sites of special scientific interest. [200392]
Joan Ruddock: We have no immediate plans to draw up model byelaws for use in these circumstances. The provision for SSSI byelaws was introduced by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. Since then, the SSSI regime has been further strengthened by the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006 which introduced an additional third party offence under section 28P. Natural England is using this mechanism, as a method of dealing with damaging third party activity in SSSIs.
Television
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 6 March 2008, Official Report, column 2727W, on television, what the cost was of the four plasma television screens purchased. [198098]
Jonathan Shaw: The cost of the four plasma television screens purchased was £3,000.
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