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5 Feb 2009 : Column 1411W—continued
A range of scenarios for future coal imports implied by scenarios for demand and indigenous production of coal can be found on page 88 of the “Energy Markets Outlook Report” December 2008, produced by Department of Energy and Climate Change. A copy of this publication is available in the House of Commons Library or can be accessed through this link:
Departmental Data Protection
Mr. Vara:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what percentage of contractors and suppliers to his Department has reported compliance with the Government's security standards following publication of the report, Data Handling
Procedures in Government, and the accompanying document, Cross-departmental Actions: Mandatory Minimum Action, on 25 June 2008. [245309]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was formed on 3 October 2008, bringing together policy responsibility for energy (formerly with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR)) and climate change (formerly with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)). The Department is not at present party to any contracts, as the Transfer of Function Order related to the creation of DECC has not yet come into force. Existing contracts related to energy and climate change matters will remain with BERR and Defra respectively until the Transfer of Function Order comes into force. Given that, I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 22 January 2009, Official Report, column 1588W and by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 422W.
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many contracts his Department has which allow contractors to store personal data of UK citizens overseas; for which contracts this applies; in which countries the data for each contract is held; and how many people have their data stored overseas in the case of each such contract. [245333]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) was formed on 3 October 2008, bringing together policy responsibility for energy (formerly with the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR)) and climate change (formerly with the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra)). The Department is not at present party to any contracts, as the Transfer of Function Order related to the creation of DECC has not yet come into force. Existing contracts related to energy and climate change matters will remain with BERR and Defra respectively until the Transfer of Function Order comes into force. Given that, I refer the hon. Member to the answers given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 15 January 2009, Official Report, column 890W and by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Employment Relations and Postal Affairs for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on 27 January 2009, Official Report, column 423W.
Departmental Written Questions
Mr. Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on how many occasions since the creation of his Department Ministers used their discretion to rule that a parliamentary question for written answer should be answered because it would be in the public interest to do so, even though to do so would exceed the disproportionate cost threshold of £700. [249131]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Since the Department's inception on 3 October 2008, Minister's have not asked for any parliamentary questions to be answered whereby disproportionate costs would have been incurred.
Members: Correspondence
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to reply to the hon. Member for Hemel Hempstead’s letter of 10 October 2008, that was transferred to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on cavity wall insulation. [247207]
Joan Ruddock: I replied to the hon. Member on 20 January 2009 and apologise for the delay, which was due to departmental reorganisation.
Warm Front Scheme: North Yorkshire
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent representations he has received on the operation of the Warm Front scheme in North Yorkshire; and if he will make a statement. [250353]
Joan Ruddock: The Department for Work and Pensions operates the winter fuel payments. My Department has received representations on the operation of the Warm Front Scheme in North Yorkshire.
I am currently receiving all aspects of the scheme and all such representations are informing the process.
Wind Power
Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 15 January 2009, Official Report, columns 896-97W, on wind power, what assessment he has made of the contribution of operational wind turbines towards the Government's renewable energy targets. [250721]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 26 January 2009]: The UK has a domestic target of 10 per cent. of our electricity coming from renewable sources by 2010. In 2007, all renewables generated 19,664 GWh of electricity, or 5 per cent. of the UK's electricity.
Of this, onshore wind generated 4,491 GWh. The contribution from onshore wind to overall UK electricity generation was 1.14 per cent.
Offshore wind generated 783 GWh in 2007. The contribution from offshore wind to overall UK generation was 0.2 per cent.
The contribution from onshore and offshore wind to overall UK generation was therefore 1.34 per cent.
Source: AEA Technology/RESTATS.
It should be noted, however, that since this data was collated new projects have gone live in 2008—such as the 194MW Lynn and Inner Dowsing offshore wind farms and the 322MW Whitelee onshore wind farm. Generation data for these sites is not yet available.
With the construction of Lynn and Inner Dowsing, the UK now has 598MW of offshore wind capacity, overtaking Denmark as world leader in this technology. This extra capacity also takes the UK over the 3GW mark of total installed onshore and offshore wind capacity.
We are committed to increasing the use of wind power far beyond 3GW over the next few decades. The step change in the policy and measures necessary to achieve this are already in train or being developed.
The UK Government support the agreement that has been reached between the Council and European Parliament following the Council in December 2008 that 20 per cent. of EU energy consumption should come from renewable energy sources by 2020. In the UK this equates to a 15 per cent. target by 2020.
To meet this target, we consulted on a draft UK Renewable Energy Strategy last summer. We sought stakeholders' views on a wide range of measures, including further development of wind power, to help meet our share of the EU target. We will publish our finalised Renewable Energy Strategy later this year.
We also have a range of measures already in place to bring on more renewables development, including onshore and offshore wind, in order to meet our targets. For example, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in the pre-Budget report that we would be extending the Renewables Obligation (RO) until 2037. This will ensure that investors can plan with confidence for the future so that over the next decade the market will continue to deliver the renewables projects that we need to achieve our 2020 target.
This Department will also be launching an Office for Renewable Energy Deployment (ORED), one of a suite of new low-carbon offices, as a one-stop-shop for business and other stakeholders aimed at removing supply chain barriers to renewables deployment. ORED will also have a strong role to play in tackling other deployment barriers related to grid, planning and raising public awareness.
Other measures include the launch this year of tenders under the Offshore Transmission Regime, to enable more offshore wind power to be connected to the grid. The Transmission Access Review will also enable more onshore wind to get early connection dates.
In summary, we are working across policy areas to increase wind developments: planning, financial incentives, business development and grid infrastructure. These measures will ensure wind power plays a full part in meeting our carbon budgets and energy supply needs in 2020 and beyond.
Olympics
Members: Correspondence
Mr. Harper: To ask the Minister for the Olympics when she plans to reply to the letters of 6 November 2008 and 14 January 2009 from the hon. Member for Forest of Dean on Olympic events for women cyclists, reference SP2318. [254529]
Tessa Jowell: I will reply to the hon. Member’s letter early next week. I apologise for the delay.
Northern Ireland
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how much his Department has spent on advertising in the last five years; [243249]
(2) with reference to the Answer of 12 November 2008, on departmental marketing, how much his Department spent on advertising in the last five years. [243526]
Mr. Woodward: The following table provides details of the Northern Ireland Office’s advertising expenditure, excluding agencies and NDPBs, in the last five years.
| Advertising expenditure (£) | |
The increase in 2007-08 was largely due to a public advertising campaign for fireworks safety, funded by Firearms and Explosives Branch. Expenditure in this campaign included creative, agency and production costs as well as media advertising, promotion, education packs and initiatives for schools.
Departmental Travel
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what expenditure his Department has incurred in providing transport for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises in each of the last five years. [251871]
Mr. Woodward: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport on 26 January 2009, Official Report, column 5W, in relation to the Government Car and Despatch Agency. Other transport costs for Ministers between Parliament and departmental premises could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the ministerial code.
Culture, Media and Sport
Advertising: Regulation
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent steps his Department has taken to regulate the advertising industry. [253800]
Andy Burnham [holding answer 4 February 2009]: Advertising in the UK is strictly controlled through a system of co-regulation and self-regulation, which is enforced by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA). This regulatory system is independent of Government and is ultimately responsible for setting the standards in advertising.
The bodies responsible for writing and maintaining the advertising codes, the Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) and the Broadcast Committee of Advertising Practice (BCAP), are currently undertaking a full review of all the advertising codes. CAP and BCAP will hold a public consultation on proposed changes to the advertising codes in 2009.
Arts Council England: Grants
Mr. Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much funding Arts Council England provided to (a) the Hayward Gallery, (b) the London Philharmonic Orchestra and (c) the Saison Poetry Library in each of the last five years; and how much came from (i) Exchequer funding and (ii) the National Lottery in each such year. [249420]
Barbara Follett: Arts Council England has advised that it has provided funding to the Hayward Gallery and the London Philharmonic Orchestra in each of the last five years as set out in the table. Regular funding towards the ongoing running costs of the Hayward Gallery and the Saison Poetry Library is included in the overall allocation for the South Bank Centre. The Saison Poetry Library has received no lottery funding.
| £ | |||||
| Arts Council England funding to: | 2003-04 | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 |
|
(i) Exchequer funding other than regular funding via South Bank Centre allocation | |||||
BBC: Location
Jim Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what information his Department holds on the cost of relocation of BBC staff to Media City, Salford; what discussions he has had on the subject with (a) the Director General of the BBC and (b) the BBC Trust; and if he will make a statement. [254032]
Andy Burnham: The cost to the licence fee payer of relocating BBC staff to Media City in Salford was estimated by the BBC at the time of the licence fee settlement announcement at £200 million over the current licence fee period, which is from April 2007 to March 2013.
The BBC director general and the chair of the BBC Trust update me regularly on BBC-related matters, including the relocation to Media City.
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