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17 Nov 2008 : Column 104W—continued
Energy and Climate Change
Arctic
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent research he has evaluated on the volume of Arctic ice. [233616]
Joan Ruddock: Recent and current research and monitoring studies have identified further losses in both the thickness and extent of Arctic ice.
Last month, scientists from University College London reported that the thickness of Arctic sea ice was significantly lower (by an average of 10 per cent.) during the winter of 2007-08 than during the previous five winters, indicating that the total volume of sea ice has decreased significantly. Though based only on satellite data (which are not ideal for measuring sea ice thickness), this result confirms previous evidence of decreasing sea ice thickness over the past three decades from U.S. and U.K. submarine sonar measurements.
Satellite monitoring since 1979 also shows there has been a long-term decline in the extent of summer Arctic sea ice and this decline has accelerated over the last decade. The summer minimum in 2008 was slightly greater than the record low in 2007, but was still the second lowest year on record, despite relatively cool temperatures this year. The latest generation of climate models developed by the Met Office Hadley Centre, under its joint DECC and MOD-funded Integrated Climate Programme, appears to capture the recent trend well and indicates that this decline will continue over coming years.
UK researchers have been using satellite data and other observations to monitor changes in the Greenland Ice Sheet. The longer term results show that the total ice mass has decreased over the past few decades and recent observations indicate that the duration and total area of surface melting on the ice sheet was higher during summer 2007 than during any other summer since records began in 1973. This year, there has been significant loss of ice from Petermann and Jakobshavn Isbrae glaciers. Continuing ice sheet loss has major implications for sea levels rise and DECC is working with UK researchers to understand and model ice sheet dynamics better, to improve estimates of where the Greenland ice sheet 'tipping point' might be in relation to global temperature increase.
British Energy: EDF
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the monetary value of the contract between the Government and UBS Limited for advice provided in regard of the sale of British Energy to EDF was. [231241]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: It would not be appropriate to disclose the value of the contract between the Government and UBS for their advice in relation to the potential sale of British Energy as the contract remains open pending completion of the deal, and the information is commercially confidential.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the monetary value of the contract between the Nuclear Liabilities Fund and Lazard and Co for advice provided in regard of the sale of British Energy to EDF was. [231242]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The value of the contract between the NLF and Lazard and Co. for advice provided with regard to the sale of British Energy is a matter for the NLF Trustees, and I have been advised by them that they consider the information to be commercially confidential.
Carbon Emissions
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to place a limit on the use of credits generated through the Kyoto mechanisms for emissions reduction. [234399]
Joan Ruddock: The Government have tabled an amendment to the Climate Change Bill which would require a limit to be set on the purchase of credits for each budgetary period in secondary legislation, subject to the affirmative procedure, and taking into account the Committee on Climate Change's advice on the appropriate balance between action at domestic, European and international level, for each carbon budget.
The European Commission has made proposals on how access to project credits should be limited in its legislative package on Climate and Energy. The current proposal is that, on the basis of sharing a 20 per cent. EU reduction target, member states have an annual project credit allowance in the years 2013-20 equal to 3 per cent. of their non-emissions trading scheme (ETS) emissions in 2005. In the EU ETS, and again for a 20 per cent. reduction target, no new access to project credits is envisaged for phase III (2013-20) of the scheme.
For a 30 per cent. target, the Commission's proposal allows for half the additional reduction to be met through project credits in both the EU ETS and the sectors of the economy not covered by the EU ETS.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of efficiency measures installed under the (a) first and (b) second phase of the energy efficiency commitment which were installed in rural areas. [234713]
Joan Ruddock: Under each phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment, Ofgem, who regulate the scheme for the Government, were only required to monitor energy suppliers' activity across Great Britain as a whole. Data are not collected by region or any other local area.
Carbon Emissions Reduction Target
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of efficiency measures installed under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target which were installed in rural areas. [234714]
Joan Ruddock:
Under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target programme, Ofgem, who regulate the scheme for
the Government, is only required to monitor energy suppliers' activity across Great Britain as a whole. Data are not collected by region or any other local area.
Carbon Emissions: Construction
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many energy efficiency measures were installed in England under the (a) first and (b) second phase of the Energy Efficiency Commitment in each (i) Government Office region, (ii) local authority and (iii) constituency. [234712]
Joan Ruddock: Ofgem's report ‘A Review of the Energy Efficiency Commitment 2002-2005’, published in August 2005, states that 66,923,178 measures were installed in England over this three-year period. Included within this figure were 1,945,749 cavity wall and loft insulation measures, plus 39,737,570 compact florescent lamps (CFLs)—energy efficient light bulbs.
Ofgem's report ‘A Review of the Energy Efficiency Commitment 2005-2008’, published in August 2008, states that 163,277,782 measures were installed in England over this three-year period. Included within this figure were 3,324,545 cavity wall and loft insulation measures, plus 101,876,023 CFLs.
Under the Energy Efficiency Commitment, Ofgem, who regulated the schemes for the Government, were only required to monitor energy suppliers' activity across Great Britain as a whole and data were not collected by region or any other local area.
Carbon Emissions: Housing
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many energy efficiency measures have been installed under the (a) Warm Front and (b) Home Energy Efficiency schemes in each (i) Government Office region, (ii) local authority area and (iii) constituency. [234688]
Joan Ruddock: As fuel poverty is now a devolved matter, the answer refers only to measures installed in England through the Warm Front scheme.
A spreadsheet illustrating the number of measures delivered through the Warm Front scheme, by scheme year for the last three full years (2005-08) split by (i) Government Office region, (ii) local authority area and (iii) constituency has been placed in the House Libraries.
Carbon Emissions: International Cooperation
Sir John Stanley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will list in descending order of magnitude the percentage contribution that each county, including the UK, is making to global carbon dioxide emissions. [234973]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 13 November 2008]: A table produced by the World Resources Institute listing the latest data available for global carbon dioxide emissions in 2004 has been placed in the House Libraries. The figures are listed as both percentages and thousand metric tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent and are listed by country in order of the magnitude of its contribution to the global total as requested.
The latest figure for total global carbon dioxide emissions in 2004 is approaching 30 billion metric tonnes of carbon dioxide (27,251,186 thousand metric tonnes).
The United States is the greatest contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions in 2004, being responsible for over 20 per cent. of the global total. The UK is ranked 7th overall for its contribution to global carbon dioxide emissions in 2004 with just over 2 per cent. of the global total.
Climate Change: Public Appointments
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress the Government have made in appointing a new Chair of the Committee on Climate Change; and when he expects an appointment to be announced. [234281]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 13 November 2008]: The recruitment process is well under way but at present we do not have a specific date for making an announcement.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what buildings are occupied by his Department; and what other buildings his Department plans to use. [229118]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: DECC has just announced that it intends to move all of its London staff into 3 Whitehall Place. Currently staff are working in 1 Victoria Street, Ergon House and 3 Whitehall Place.
Departmental Marketing
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the cost effectiveness of Government-commissioned advertising in the last 12 months relating to matters falling within the remit of his Department. [226521]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform was previously responsible for energy policy. It commissioned press advertising in the financial year 2007-08 from COI to raise awareness of the consultation on the future of nuclear power in the UK. This involved placing advertisements in major national newspapers.
Cost effectiveness was assessed by the potential audience size reached, calculated by the circulation of each newspaper and the discount on advertising rates achieved by COI against standard rate card costs.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what costs have been incurred in creating his Department's brand identity. [228254]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department has spent approximately £18,000 to date on branding, including temporary signage and letterhead to identify the building and correspondence from the Department in its early weeks, as well as developing the Department's long term brand identity.
Departmental Older Workers
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people aged over (a) 55 and (b) 60 years who work in his Department were recruited in 2007-08; and what percentage in each case this was of the number of staff recruited in that year who work in his Department. [228757]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change was created recently and as yet information on final staff numbers are not available and have not been agreed. This information will be released as soon as possible.
Departmental Pensions
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many civil servants working in his Department and its agencies have pensions with a cash equivalent transfer value of over £1 million. [229554]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: It is not the Department's policy to disclose pension information for civil servants other than Board Members whose details will be shown in the Remuneration Report in annual Resource Accounts. A copy of the DECC Resource Accounts will be placed in the Libraries of the House when they are published.
Fuel Poverty
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the implications of the recent High Court judgment are for his Department's statutory duty to end fuel poverty for vulnerable households by 2010 and for all households by 2016. [234626]
Joan Ruddock: Tackling fuel poverty remains a priority for the Government. Since 2000, the Government have spent £20 billion on fuel poverty benefits and programmes. Significant spending will continue.
The UK Government remain committed to the eradication of fuel poverty in vulnerable households as far as reasonably practicable by 2010 with the overall aim that as far as reasonably practicable no household in the UK should live in fuel poverty by 2016.
Despite the considerable resources already committed to tackling fuel poverty, recent rises in energy prices have made the challenge of tackling fuel poverty more difficult. Therefore, while the current mix of fuel poverty measures will not eradicate fuel poverty in all vulnerable households by 2010, the package announced 11 September underlines the Government's commitment to do all that is reasonably practicable to ensure that those households, and others, do not live in fuel poverty.
The recent judicial review concerned the Government's statutory duty to do all that is reasonably practicable to eradicate fuel poverty in England in vulnerable households by 2010 and in all households by 2016. The Government remain committed to that duty.
Warm Front Scheme
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the budget for the Warm Front scheme (a) is in the current financial year and (b) will be in each of the next five financial years. [234401]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 11 November 2008]: The Warm Front budget for the current financial year is set at approximately £345 million.
The budgets for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are approximately £274 million and £250 million respectively.
At present, no budget has been set beyond this period.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many pensioners aged below 70 have participated in the Warm Front scheme in each of the last five years. [234403]Joan Ruddock [holding answer 11 November 2008]: The following table illustrates, by scheme year from 2005-06, the number of households assisted by Warm Front where the customer was aged 60 to 69 at the point of application.
Prior to 2005 the scheme was administered by two scheme managers. The data retained by the present agency are not sufficient to provide the data for the 2004-05 period to the necessary level of detail.
| Scheme year | Eligible customer aged 60 to 69 |
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