| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
13 May 2008 : Column 1458W—continued
Disabled
Mr. MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what targets his Department has set in relation to its employment of people with disabilities over the next five years. [199055]
Mr. Thomas: Departmental targets relating to the employment of people with disabilities, to be achieved by April 2008, are as follows:
| Progress towards numerical targets | |||||||||
| 1 April 2008 | 10 point plan target | BERR target | |||||||
| 10 point plan target (%) | BERR target (%) | Number minority staff | Number of staff at Band | Current %age | Number of staff required to meet target | Difference | Number of staff required to meet target | Difference | |
10 Point Plan for a Diverse Civil Service, published in November 2005, set a target that 3.2 per cent. of Senior Civil Service (SCS) posts are to be filled by disabled people by April 2008. Final measurements of achievement against this target will be available by October 2008.
The Department is in the process of agreeing a Diversity Strategy for the period April 2008 to March 2011. An appropriate target for the representation of people with disabilities is currently under consideration.
13 per cent. of staff responding to the November 2007 Staff Opinion Survey reported that they had a disability or long term health condition.
Energy Supply
John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with National Grid on the supply of electricity in the UK during summer months. [204290]
Malcolm Wicks: BERR officials met National Grid on 9 April 2008 to discuss its Summer Outlook Report 2008, which covers the supply of electricity during the summer months.
The Summer Outlook Report was launched on 15 April 2008 and can be accessed via the following link:
http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Pages/MoreInformation.aspx@docid=1&;refer=Markets/WhlMkts/CustandIndustry/Outlook.
Energy: Housing
Mr. Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what plans he has to assist low income households with the rising costs of fuel for heating. [204523]
Malcolm Wicks: We are concerned about the impact of higher prices on vulnerable people and we continue to encourage energy suppliers to adopt initiatives to restrict price rises for the most vulnerable.
In Budget 2008, the Government said they would like to see the amount energy suppliers spend on social programmes increase to at least £150 million a year over the period ahead. A new voluntary agreement has recently been signed individually with the six major energy suppliers to treble their individual investment on social programmes in the next three years, reaching collective investment of £150 million by 2010-11. This will take spend to £100 million in 2008-09, £125 million in 2009-10 and £150 million in 2010-11.
In addition, winter fuel payments helped keep 11.7 million people warm in winter 2006-07 and Budget 2008 announced an additional one-off payment of £100 to over-80s households and £50 to over-60s households in 2008-09.
Energy: Meters
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) funded on the interoperability of communication platforms for the introduction of smart meters; [201890]
(2) what discussions he has had with suppliers of (a) energy and (b) water smart meters to co-ordinate their provision of services to households. [201893]
Malcolm Wicks: My Department's draft Impact Assessment recognises the role that providing smart metering to gas and electricity customers could play in facilitating wider policy goals, including water conservation. The scope for providing additional services, including water metering, is among the issues we shall explore as we refine our Impact Assessment with interested parties over the coming months. Last year, my Department commissioned economic analysis of a range of issues associated with smart metering, including interoperability and telecommunications. This analysis, by Mott MacDonald, has now been published, and has also informed our Impact Assessment. We will undertake more analysis over the coming months.
In the meantime, powers have been included in the Energy Bill to enable the Secretary of State to modify relevant gas and electricity licences to require the provision and installation, or facilitate the provision and installation of, smart meters. These powers will enable a roll out of advanced meters to medium sized businesses in the first instance (as announced in 2008 Budget). Subject to further ongoing analysis these powers would enable us to move forward with a roll out to small businesses and domestic consumers when we have the information to make these decisions.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what recent discussions he has had with (a) the Local Government Association, (b) energy suppliers, (c) housing developers and (d) major energy users on the introduction of smart meters. [201891]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department has held discussions with a range of interested parties over about smart meters. The Office of Government Commerce has been in discussion with local authorities as part of its work to promote the provision of advanced metering in public buildings operated by both central and local government. The Government's consultation on metering and billing was open to all groups, including large energy users. The largest energy users will, however, already use half-hourly electricity, or daily-read gas, meters. Over 200,000 larger sites below these categories will receive advanced meters under the proposals that were confirmed in the Budget 2008.
In the meantime, powers have been included in the Energy Bill to enable the Secretary of State to modify relevant gas and electricity licences to require the provision and installation, or facilitate the provision and installation of, smart meters. These powers will enable a roll out of advanced meters to medium sized businesses in the first instance (as announced in 2008 Budget). Subject to further ongoing analysis these powers would enable us to move forward with a roll out to small businesses and domestic consumers when we have the information to make these decisions.
Steve Webb:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to his oral statement of 30 April 2008, Official Report, column 333, if he will place in the Library a copy of
the study undertaken on behalf of his Department by Mott MacDonald on the costs and benefits of smart metering. [204024]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 8 May 2008]: A copy of the report by Mott MacDonald, “Appraisal Costs and Benefits of Smart Meter Roll Out Options”, has been placed in the Library. The report is also available on the BERR website at:
Energy: Skilled Workers
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps the Government is taking to ensure that the UK has enough skilled people to work in the (a) nuclear waste industries and (b) the energy efficiency and renewable energy sectors. [202514]
Malcolm Wicks: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 6 May 2008, Official Report, column 874W.
Fuels: Prices
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of (a) the average household fuel bill and (b) the average household fuel bill as a proportion of household income in the latest period for which figures are available, broken down by region. [204554]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 9 May 2008]: Estimates for this response are based on data collected through the Expenditure and Food Survey. The average household fuel bill and average disposable income are available in the Family Spending 2007 publication, available online at:
This shows detailed household expenditure by UK countries and Government office regions in 2006 and the following has been derived from table A37 and A44.
| Government office region | Average annual fuel bill (£) | Annual fuel bill as a percentage of disposable income |
Furniture: Standards
Mrs. Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many incidents of sales of dangerous and substandard furniture have been investigated by the Scambuster pilots since 2006. [201985]
Mr. Thomas: The Scambuster pilots have investigated two incidents of alleged dangerous or substandard furniture. 161 pieces of furniture were seized as a result of investigations although those tested complied with the Furniture and Furnishing (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1998. A further sample of cushions failed the Regulations.
Internet: Data Protection
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prohibit the re-publication without the subject’s permission of images of persons posted on social networking sites; and if he will make a statement. [199411]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 21 April 2008]: The use of computerised personal information in the United Kingdom is regulated by the Data Protection Act 1998. The Information Commissioner who administers and enforces the Act independently of the Government. The Act does not prohibit the dissemination of personal data to third parties, including via the internet, but it regulates the circumstances in which this can take place through a code of enforceable good practice principles. Among other things, they require personal data to be processed fairly and lawfully, obtained only for specified and lawful purposes, and not further processed incompatibly with those purposes.
Any directly affected person may ask the Information Commissioner to assess whether it is likely or unlikely that any processing of personal data has been or is being earned out in compliance with the Act. If the Commissioner concludes that any of the Act’s principles are being breached, it is open to him to take enforcement action against the organisation concerned.
Manufactured Goods: Production
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the report by the Office for National Statistics into the volume of output in the UK’s production industries in the first quarter of 2008; and if he will make a statement. [202912]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 6 May 2008]: According to the ONS, seasonally adjusted production sector output fell by 0.1 per cent. in the first quarter of 2008 compared to the last quarter of 2007. Manufacturing sector output grew 0.5 per cent. in 2008 Q1—up on the previous quarter’s growth in the sector, and the highest quarterly volume of manufacturing output since the first quarter of 2001—but this was offset by falls on the quarter in mining and quarrying output, and electricity, gas and water supply output. However, the figures for 2008 Q1 are preliminary estimates, subject to revision as more information becomes available.
Total production output was 0.7 per cent. higher in the first quarter of 2008 compared to the corresponding quarter in the previous year. Within the total production sector, both manufacturing and electricity, gas and water output increased in the year to the first quarter of 2008, by 1.2 per cent. and 1.7 per cent. respectively, while mining and quarrying output fell by 5.1 per cent. over the same period.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 19 March 2008, on online privacy. [202392]
Mr. Thomas [holding answer 29 April 2008]: I apologise for the delay in responding to the hon. Member. A reply will be issued shortly.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |