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26 Nov 2008 : Column 2156W—continued


Contribution requests made (over 60s only)
Scheme year Assisted households (over 60s only) Paid Did not proceed Total

2005-06

65,612

5,937

465

6,402

2006-07

147,547

20,606

1,353

21,959

2007-08

161,322

35,246

2,955

38,201

2008-09 (to 25 October 2008)

64,306

15,420

5,936

21,356


Mr. Spring: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average contribution requested from householders assisted under the Warm Front scheme was in (a) Suffolk and (b) England since the inception of contributions. [240003]

Joan Ruddock: The average contributions up until 27 October 2008 (the latest time for which figures are available) are as follows:

Average contribution (£)

(a) Suffolk

808.76

(b) England

532.57


The figures shown are representative of the contributions requested during the second phase of Warm Front, beginning in 2005. Contributions were requested prior to this time but the data retained by the new scheme manager do not permit me to provide the figures required.

Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: East Midlands

Mr. Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which contractors the Warm Front scheme uses in the East Midlands. [238078]

Joan Ruddock: The following list illustrates the contractors registered with the Warm Front Scheme who are contracted to carry out work in the East Midlands.

Company name


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Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Mr. Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many claims for (a) miners' hearing loss, (b) vibration white finger and (c) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were paid in Bolsover constituency in each of the last six years. [238667]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The following table shows how many miner's claims have been settled by payment for noise induced hearing loss, vibration white finger and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Bolsover constituency in each of the last six years.

NIHL VWF COPD

2003

203

601

1,528

2004

144

395

1,481

2005

170

497

2,533

2006

86

584

1,787

2007

23

886

891

2008

5

1,375

370


Insulation: Housing

Jim Cousins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what grants his Department makes available to meet the cost of insulation in older properties without cavity walls; and what additional grants are likely to be available under the recently announced special energy efficiency scheme in the next two years. [228521]

Joan Ruddock: Warm Front is the Government’s main programme for tackling fuel poverty in vulnerable households in the private sector through the provision of heating, insulation and energy efficiency measures. Currently Warm Front provides grants for both cavity wall and loft insulation. However, Warm Front does have mechanisms in place for assessing alternative technologies, with a particular emphasis on those that can assist hard to treat properties. As part of these processes Warm Front is currently reviewing whether there are solid wall insulation products in the marketplace which are appropriate for the scheme. However, Warm Front will only integrate a new technology onto the scheme following a full assessment of its suitability, which will look at factors such as energy savings, installer and manufacturer capacity, customer satisfaction and the cost of installation.

Finding innovative, cost effective and attractive ways of insulating hard to treat homes will be core to both our carbon saving and fuel poverty alleviation ambitions. The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), although specifically designed to deliver carbon savings as cost
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effectively as possible, includes incentives to encourage suppliers to promote more costly measures appropriate for hard to treat homes, such as solid wall insulation. This has resulted in some 40,000 solid wall homes benefiting from insulation in the last three years, with a further 100,000 expected to be treated by 2011.

Mr. Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will amend the Government’s insulation scheme for disabled householders to cover households with disabled children. [239187]

Joan Ruddock: It has not been possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

Lighting: Greater London

Mr. Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many low energy light bulbs have been distributed without charge at the expense of the public purse to pensioners in (a) the London Borough of Hillingdon and (b) Uxbridge constituency. [234161]

Joan Ruddock: In the last full Warm Front Scheme year, 1 April 2007-30 March 2008, the Warm Front Scheme distributed 562 compact fluorescent light-bulbs to 281 households in Hillingdon, at no cost to the household. 228 light-bulbs were delivered to 114 households in Uxbridge over the same period.

Compact fluorescent light-bulbs are also distributed by energy suppliers as part of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Targets (CERT) scheme and Energy Efficiency Commitment. There have been 27,662,035 compact fluorescent light bulbs distributed to households in Great Britain for the period covering the first two quarters of CERT (April-September), which commenced in April 2008. Ofgem, who regulate the schemes for the Government, are only required to monitor the energy suppliers’ activity across Great Britain as a whole and data are not collected by region or any other local area.

Lighting: Hertfordshire

Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many low energy light bulbs have been distributed without charge and at the expense of the public purse to pensioners in (a) Hemel Hempstead and (b) Hertfordshire; and at what cost. [234578]

Joan Ruddock: In the last full Warm Front Scheme year, 1 April 2007-30 March 2008, the Warm Front Scheme distributed 370 compact fluorescent light-bulbs to 185 households in Hemel Hempstead, at no cost to the household. 2,430 light-bulbs were delivered to 1,215 households in Hertfordshire over the same period. All of these householders were on disability or income related benefits, as required to qualify for the scheme.

Associated costs are £1,421 and £9,337 plus 5 per cent. VAT, respectively. The cost associated with light-bulb provision covers the purchase, storage, packaging and delivery of these items.

Under the previous Energy Efficiency Commitment and the current Carbon Emissions Reduction Target programme, Ofgem, who regulate the scheme for the Government, are only required to monitor energy suppliers’
26 Nov 2008 : Column 2159W
activity across Great Britain as a whole. Data are not collected by region or any other local area.

Lighting: Housing

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many low energy light bulbs have been distributed without charge to pensioners in York. [230258]

Joan Ruddock: The two principal schemes providing assistance for energy efficiency measures, including to pensioner households are Warm Front and the energy supplier obligation.

Between 1 June 2005 and 30 August 2008 the Warm Front Scheme distributed 4,704 compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to 2,352 pensioner households resident in the city of York and the Vale of York constituencies.

CFLs are also distributed by energy suppliers as part of the energy supplier obligation, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Targets (CERT). There have been 27,662,035 compact fluorescent light bulbs distributed to households in Great Britain for the period covering the first two quarters of CERT (April to September), which commenced in April 2008. Ofgem, who regulate the schemes for the Government, are required only to monitor the energy suppliers’ activity across Great Britain as a whole and data are not collected by region or any other local area.

Marine Renewable Deployment Fund

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many projects have received funding from the Marine Renewable Deployment Fund, broken down by (a) nation and (b) region. [239230]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 25 November 2008]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.

Marine Renewables Deployment Fund

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what projects have received funding from the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund in 2007-08; and which have been allocated funding for 2008-09. [238642]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 24 November 2008]: In 2007-08 three projects received funding from the MRDF. These were:

Contractor Description

EMEC

Development of protocols on “Assessment of performance for tidal energy conversion systems”

EMEC

Development of protocols on “Assessment of the performance of wave energy conversion systems in open sea test facilities”

Sustainable Development Commission

BERR contribution to the cost of its study of tidal power in the UK


The two EMEC projects mentioned in the table also received funding during 2008-09, and Hartley Anderson Ltd. has been commissioned to undertake a project on “Data acquisition to inform the Strategic Environmental Assessment programme, with regard to marine renewables.”


26 Nov 2008 : Column 2160W

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his latest estimate is of the surplus in each budget category of the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund for 2007-08; and what the projected spending is for each category for 2008-09. [238643]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 24 November 2008]: The Marine Renewables Deployment Fund has a £50 million budget which is not allocated to individual years. The projected expenditure by budget category for 2008-09 is:

£

Complementary research

20,300

MRDF grants to industry under the scheme

0

MRDF infrastructure grants

0

Environmental research programme

725,000


Members: Correspondence

Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when a Minister in his Department plans to reply to the letter to the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 23 September 2008 on the Planning Bill and climate change. [232218]

Joan Ruddock [holding answer 3 November 2008]: The hon. Member’s letter has been transferred to Communities and Local Government for response, as it relates to the Planning Bill. A letter confirming the transfer was sent on 31 October.


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