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20 Mar 2009 : Column 1397W—continued
There are no plans to continue to meet with the Distributed Energy Working Group as currently constituted. Members of the group continue to be involved in the development of wider Distributed Energy and Heat policy in other fora.
Distributed Energy Consultations published by Government and Ofgem have highlighted concerns that the current charging regime for using the distribution network does not properly reflect the benefits that DE can bring. These findings have been fed into a separate and ongoing project on the structure of use of system charges. This work is led by Ofgem working with distribution network operators.
Energy: Conservation
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has issued advice to (a) Government Departments, (b) businesses and (c) consumers on how to increase their energy efficiency. [263736]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 16 March 2009]: The Department provides a broad range of advice on improving energy efficiency:
(a) The Government’s Delivery Plan for Sustainable Procurement and Operations on the Government Estate, published in August 2008, sets out how the Government are supporting increased energy efficiency in central Government Departments. It provides guidance on meeting carbon reduction targets, purchasing energy efficient products, and collaborative procurement opportunities.
Salix Finance Ltd. is an independent, publicly funded company set up by the Carbon Trust to accelerate public sector investment in energy efficiency technologies to improve energy efficiency and reduce energy bills.
(b) The DECC-funded Carbon Trust provides information and advice to help businesses and public sector organisations improve their energy efficiency. Advice is delivered via the Carbon Trust website, dedicated advice line, and a range of further services for organisations of different sizes.
The Government are taking steps to improve the ease with which businesses can access advice on improving their energy and resource efficiency, in particular through Business Link and through the Government’s “Real Help for Business” communications campaign, which provides specific advice on how businesses can save money by improving their resource efficiency.
(c) DECC also grant funds The Energy Saving Trust (EST) to support its work reducing carbon emissions from the household sector. The EST is a non-profit organisation, which provides free, impartial advice that plays an important role in helping the Government meet their climate change targets and is a key partner in the Act on CO2 campaign.
Through the Act on CO2 Advice line which was launched in April 2008 and regional one-stop shop advice centres, the EST works directly with consumers to help them reduce their carbon footprint with respect to energy, waste, water and transport.
Environmental Transformation Fund
Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which projects for which his Department is responsible are receiving funding from the Environmental Transformation Fund; how much each has received from the Fund since its inception; and what further projects are planned. [259357]
Joan Ruddock: The UK element of the Environmental Transformation Fund, which was formerly jointly led by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform, has been led by the Department of Energy and Climate Change since its creation in autumn 2008.
There are a number of new projects under the UK Environmental Transformation Fund which are under active consideration at present—announcements will be made in due course. The most recent spend figures are as follows:
The £800 million Environmental Transformation Fund—International Window is jointly owned by my Department and the Department for International Development. It has been allocated by the UK to the multi-donor Climate Investment Funds.
The first instalment of funds (£100 million) is in the process of being disbursed to the Climate Investment Funds. Following the Treasury allocations at the time of the spending review, £200 million will be disbursed in 2009-10 and £500 million in 2010-11.
The Climate Investment Funds are comprised of several funds and programmes. Funding is allocated on the basis of programmatic investment plans submitted by the recipient country. The Pilot Programme for Climate Resilience Committee has invited eight countries to become pilot countries for the programme (Bangladesh, Bolivia, Cambodia, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Tajikistan and Zambia). The Clean Technology Fund Committee has also endorsed the investment plans of Egypt, Mexico and Turkey.
The funds will be administered by the World Bank with individual programmes implemented through any one of the Multilateral Development Banks. We expect UN agencies to participate as delivery agents. More information can be viewed at:
Lighting
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many of the 100 million (a) free and (b) subsidised low-energy light bulbs which the Government undertook to provide under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target have been distributed. [254125]
Joan Ruddock: The Government have not undertaken to distribute any particular number of low energy lamps under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT). Energy suppliers may choose to meet their carbon saving obligation through any mix of approved measures. During the first three quarters of CERT (April to December 2008), suppliers reported to the scheme administrator, Ofgem, that they had distributed 120.6 million low energy lamps.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 12 December 2008 transferred to him from the Prime Minister on the Renewable Energy Strategy. [254710]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 9 February 2009]: I responded to the hon. Member on 30 January.
National Home Energy Programme
Mr. Hoban:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate has been made of the effectiveness of the expenditure of new money being provided by energy companies and generators under the Government’s National Home Energy Programme; how many schemes have been established
through use of that money; and how many (a) low income households and (b) households with elderly people received assistance from that money. [260614]
Joan Ruddock: The Home Energy Saving Programme—announced in September 2008—included proposals to increase the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) on energy suppliers and introduce a new obligation on energy suppliers and electricity generators—the Community Energy Saving Programme (CESP). The detailed proposals for the CERT amendment and the CESP are currently out to consultation. The September package also included additional Government expenditure for the Warm Front Scheme and Cold Weather Payments.
The CESP partial impact assessment published as part of that consultation has estimated that perhaps 90,000 households in low income areas can expect to be supported with energy savings measures as a result of the scheme.
The increase in CERT activity is expected to deliver something in the order of an extra £460 million worth of support for low income households and the elderly (known as the priority group). Further details are available in the CERT partial impact assessment, and can be viewed on the DECC consultation website at:
Office for Renewable Energy Deployment
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the operational budget is of the Office for Renewable Energy Deployment for the 12 months following its establishment. [263393]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 16 March 2009]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 6 March 2009, Official Report, column 1887W, regarding the budget for the Office for Renewable Energy Deployment (ORED).
The ORED’s budget for 2009-10 is currently subject to the business planning round process in the Department.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of (a) full-time and (b) other staff who will be employed by the Office for Renewable Energy Deployment when it has been fully established. [263394]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 16 March 2009]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 6 March 2009, Official Report, column 1887W, regarding the number of staff employed by the Office for Renewable Energy Development (ORED).
The number of staff for ORED will depend on the outcome of the business planning round process in the Department and decisions on the scope and range of activities the ORED will be asked to take forward following publication of the finalised UK Renewable Energy Strategy.
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) full-time and (b) other staff in his Department are engaged in the establishment of the Office for Renewable Energy Deployment. [263395]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 16 March 2009]: The Department is involving a number of its staff in the planning for the establishment of the Office for Renewable Energy Deployment (ORED). This includes a number of staff presently working on renewable energy deployment issues. While I am unable to give precise full time equivalent numbers, the Department is also providing additional resource as necessary to deal with legal, financial, human resources and media issues associated with the establishment of the office.
Trade Unions
Mr. Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which trade unions are recognised in his Department. [262075]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: DECC has yet to put in place a formal recognition agreement with our departmental trade unions but we are actively working to establish such an agreement. In common with many other civil service Departments and agencies it is our intent to recognise FDA, Prospect and the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) all of which are members of the Council of Civil Service Unions.
Warm Front Scheme
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff of each grade in his Department work primarily on the Warm Front scheme. [257477]
Joan Ruddock: DECC currently has five officials who work primarily on the Warm Front Scheme. They are one senior executive officer, two higher executive officers, one executive officer and one administrative officer. In addition, other, more senior officials spend part of their time working on the scheme.
The work of these officials is supplemented by expert advice from finance, legal, procurement and contract staff.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department’s expenditure on the Warm Front scheme has been in each month of financial year 2008-09 to date. [257479]
Joan Ruddock: The information requested can be found in the following table.
| Warm front spend 2008-09 | |
| £ | |
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change which contractors are used for the delivery of the Warm Front scheme in each Government office region. [257598]
Joan Ruddock: The installers working on the Warm Front scheme in each Government office region can be seen in the following table:
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