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12 Jan 2009 : Column 118W—continued
Energy: Conservation
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the robustness of the UK MARKAL model on least cost optimisation of energy use, as used by his Department; and whether the MARKAL model is made available to (a) academic institutions, (b) non-governmental organisations and (c) other external bodies. [245614]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: In the last five years, the UK MARKAL model has been substantially upgraded allowing improved modelling of macro economic impacts and with particular emphasis on cost data. The work undertaken has been peer reviewed both in the academic community and in workshops and the model is considered state of the art. Model outputs have appeared in peer reviewed journals.
The model is available for use by anyone who is prepared to pay the licence fees and sign the memorandum of understanding which ensures transparency of use and a contribution to the modelling community.
Fuel Poverty
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the Government’s targets are for reducing fuel poverty; what changes have been made to these targets since October 2008; what discussions he has had with (a) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (b) other Ministers on this issue since October 2008; what recent representations he has received on fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement. [245082]
Joan Ruddock: The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 requires the Government to ensure, so far as reasonably practicable, persons do not live in fuel poverty. This Act (and the Fuel Poverty Strategy published under the Act) sets a target date of 2010 for the eradication of fuel poverty, so far as reasonably practicable, for vulnerable households, and 2016 for all households.
These targets were set when the strategy was first published in November 2001. These targets have not been amended since that date.
In October of this year, Friends of the Earth and Help the Aged brought a judicial review action against the Secretary of State alleging that he was failing to fulfil his statutory duties under the Act. The High Court dismissed this application. However, this decision is being appealed by Friends of the Earth and Help the Aged. The Secretary of State has received a skeleton argument from Friends of the Earth and Help the Aged which sets out the arguments in support of their appeal.
Ministers in the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) have regular discussions with colleagues in other Departments with responsibility for aspects of fuel poverty policy including those in HM Treasury.
Fuel Poverty: Peterborough
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to reduce fuel poverty in Peterborough by 2010; and if he will make a statement. [244137]
Joan Ruddock: Tackling fuel poverty is a priority for the Government. Since 2000, the Government have spent £20 billion on fuel poverty benefits and programmes.
The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy was published in November 2001 and sets out the approach of the Government (and the Devolved Administrations) for tackling fuel poverty. The latest version of the Fuel Poverty Strategy reflects the requirements of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act to do all that is reasonably practicable to end fuel poverty among vulnerable households by 2010.
The Government's Sixth Annual Progress Report on Fuel Poverty shows that, in England, the overall number of households estimated to be in fuel poverty in 2006 is 2.4 million of which around 1.9 million are vulnerable. This represents a rise of 900,000 households since 2005 and a rise of 700,000 vulnerable households over the same period.
Since 2000 Warm Front has been the Government's main scheme to tackle fuel poverty in private sector households to improve the energy efficiency of properties.
Since 2000 Warm Front has assisted 1341 households, investing a total of £1,795,962.34 on insulation and/or heating in Peterborough.
Fuel Poverty: Tendring
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of progress towards the elimination of fuel poverty in vulnerable households in Tendring by 2010; and if he will make a statement. [242614]
Joan Ruddock: Tackling fuel poverty is a priority for the Government. Since 2000, the Government have spent £20 billion on fuel poverty benefits and programmes.
The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy was published in November 2001 and sets out the approach of the Government (and the devolved Administrations) for tackling fuel poverty. The latest version of the Fuel Poverty Strategy reflects the requirements of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act to do all that is reasonably practicable to end fuel poverty among vulnerable households by 2010.
The Government’s Sixth Annual Progress Report on Fuel Poverty shows that, in England, the overall number of households estimated to be in fuel poverty in 2006 was 2.4 million, of which around 1.9 million were vulnerable. This represents a rise of 900,000 households since 2005 and a rise of 700,000 vulnerable households over the same period.
Since 2000, Warm Front has been the Government’s main scheme to tackle fuel poverty in private sector households to improve the energy efficiency of properties. Since 2005, Warm Front has assisted 3,254 households with insulation and/or heating in Tendring.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the waiting time for emergency work to be carried out under the Warm Front scheme is; and if he will make a statement. [243817]
Joan Ruddock: Warm Front is not designed to be, and cannot act as, an emergency service.
Currently, eaga plc, the Scheme Manager, has a target timescale for performing the survey on a property of 21 working days following application. Following this survey, where a heating measure has been recommended the Scheme Manager has a target to complete this work within 120 working days. In practice most measures are installed well within this timeframe, with a current average waiting time for a survey of less than 10 days, and a further average waiting time of less than 66 days for the installation of a heating measure this year.
Home Energy Efficiency Scheme: Essex
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects works under the (a) Warm Front and (b) over seventies scheme in Essex to restart; and if he will make a statement. [243813]
Joan Ruddock:
Warm Front is an ongoing process. We are aware that the Scheme Manager eaga plc, did, with the Department's knowledge, stop allocating work
for a five day period between 3 and 9 November while a new computer upgrade was being implemented. This is now fully operational and work is being allocated an usual.
The over seventies scheme in Essex is almost certainly part of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT), which commenced in April and operates throughout Great Britain. CERT places an obligation on energy suppliers to meet targets through encouraging households to take up energy efficiency measures. It is at suppliers' discretion how they meet their targets, but they will typically use subsidised offers to promote key measures such as loft and cavity wall insulation, and high-efficiency lights and appliances.
Suppliers must focus 40 per cent. of their activity on a priority group of vulnerable and low-income households, which includes those over 70. All six major household energy suppliers currently offer priority group households free loft insulation (where less than 60mm already exists) and free cavity wall insulation, subject to a survey of the property.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the Minister of State plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 21 October 2008 on the monopoly of storage banks. [242435]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 11 December 2008]: Unfortunately DECC has no record of having received correspondence from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire dated 21 October 2008 on this subject. My officials have been in contact with the hon. Member's constituency office to request a copy of the letter.
Mental Illness
Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the recommendations relevant to his Department's policy responsibilities made in the Foresight report on Mental Capacity and Well-Being; and if he will make a statement. [244019]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department was pleased to receive the Foresight report and will be considering it with a view to taking up any relevant findings.
Part of that process will involve an assessment of what the report might mean for DECC's policies.
Microgeneration
Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what plans are in place to implement a micro-generation strategy across all government buildings; and what the budget is for this work. [244786]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department provides grant funding for the installation of microgeneration technologies to public sector and charitable bodies through Phase 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. This is a £50 million grant scheme that runs until June 2009. More information is available from the scheme's website at:
The Government have a target to reduce carbon emissions from the Government estate by 12.5 per cent. by 2010-11—the sustainable operations on the Government estate (SOGE) target. The Office of Government Commerce (OGC) Centre of Expertise in Sustainable Procurement (CESP) asks Departments to submit details of the plans they have established to meet this target.
The on-site generation plans that have been reported to the OGC are forecast to save over 7,000 tonnes of CO2. The Government Delivery Plan Update, which was published on 18 December 2008 and is available from the OGC website:
contains details of departmental plans to deliver this SOGE target.
A number of Departments have already reported plans to install on-site generation technologies, some of which include microgeneration technologies. For example, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform will be installing solar photovoltaic (PV) panels; the Department for International Development are undertaking two projects—a wind turbine and a biomass installation; the Department for Transport will be installing a second combined heat and power (CHP) plant; the Department for Work and Pensions plan to install a wind turbine; the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have plans for a biomass project and a wind turbine project; and HM Revenue and Customs plan a mixture of biomass and wind turbine projects.
DECC also plans to consider options for microgeneration on its own estate, as part of a wider strategy to improve the energy efficiency and wider sustainability of the Department.
National Grid: Standards
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on how many occasions the system frequency of the UK electricity system has been outside the limits specified in the Electricity Supply Regulations in each of the last 10 years. [242501]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The system frequency of the UK electricity system has been outside the limits specified in the electricity supply regulations twice in the last 10 year—on 27 May 2008 for nine minutes and on 26 May 2003 for 12 seconds.
Prior to May 2008, the previous reportable frequency deviation was in February 1996, which was for three minutes.
Nuclear Liabilities Fund
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent estimate is of the monetary value of the Nuclear Liabilities Fund. [242504]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: As at 31 March 2008, the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) estimated the value of the assets held by the Nuclear Liabilities Fund (NLF) at £7.8 billion, based on the share price of British Energy at that time. Since then, HMG has committed to sell the NLF's stake in British Energy to EdF for the cash offer price of 774p per share. Assuming the sale completes, this would take the value of the NLF's assets to around £8 billion.
Nuclear Power: Finance
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the remarks by the Minister of State for Energy on 19 November 2008, Official Report, column 123WH, on nuclear industry finance, for what reasons a copy of the departmental minute on Sellafield indemnification was not placed in the Library following the letter of 14 July; and for what reasons the placement of the letter was checked in October 2008. [244565]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: As I explained during the Westminster Hall debate on 19 November 2008, Official Report, columns 119-26WH; the letter, from my right hon. Friend the then Minister for Energy to the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, was not placed in the Library in July because of an administrative error.
Policy officials sought confirmation that the letter had been placed in the Library in October when my hon. Friend raised this as an issue. The letter was placed in the Library on the day the error was discovered.
Nuclear Power: Insurance
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which insurance companies insure nuclear installations owned by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority; in what country or countries they are based; and what criteria were applied in their selection. [244589]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority arranges insurance for its nuclear installations with the following insurers:
| Type of insurance | Insurer | Domicile |
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All Risks including Machinery Breakdown and Business Interruption | ||
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