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20 Mar 2009 : Column 1406W—continued
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent on the Heating Rebate Scheme in each year since its inception. [257604]
Joan Ruddock: The amounts spent on the Heating Rebate Scheme since it was introduced in 2006, based on financial years are as follows:
| £ | |
| (1) April 2008 to January 2009 | |
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the budget of the Heating Rebate Scheme is for (a) 2008-09 and (b) each of the next five financial years. [257605]
Joan Ruddock: The Warm Front £300 heating rebate has not been allocated a set budget and vouchers are currently provided in all instances where a valid application is made.
Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households in (a) West Lancashire constituency and (b) England have received Warm Front grants in each year since the establishment of the scheme. [261975]
Joan Ruddock: The table shows the number of households in West Lancashire and England that received Warm Front grants to improve their energy efficiency in each year since 2000.
| Assisted households | ||
| Scheme year | West Lancashire | England |
Warm Front Scheme: Contracts
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change until what date the Government’s contract with eaga to manage the Warm Front scheme runs. [255946]
Joan Ruddock: The current contract to manage the Warm Front Scheme runs until June 2010, with the option of a two year extension.
Church Commissioners
Churches: Repairs and Maintenance
Miss McIntosh: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what funding the Church Commissioners have allocated for repairs to historic churches in each of the last three years. [265831]
Sir Stuart Bell: The Church Commissioners' main expenditure priorities are clergy pensions, parish mission and ministry support and support for bishops’ and cathedrals’ ministries.
Their support for church building repair or preservation is limited to their chancel repair liabilities, assistance to cathedrals with chancel repair liabilities, and their part-funding of the work of the Churches Conservation Trust. The combined expenditure in these categories in the last three years for which figures are available was:
| £ million | |
Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform
Arms Trade: Exports
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many applications for licences for arms exports to each country in (a) Asia and (b) Africa have been refused under the European Code of Conduct on Arms Export since 1998; and if he will make a statement. [264395]
Ian Pearson: The Government publish detailed information on export: licences issued, refused and revoked, by destination, including a summary of the items covered by these licences, and where appropriate the criterion against which the licence has been refused, in its Annual and Quarterly Reports on Strategic Export Controls.
The Government's Annual Reports, published since 1997, and Quarterly Reports, published since 2004, are available from the House of Commons Library and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website at:
The latest date for which information is available is 30 September 2008.
Huntingdon Life Sciences: Bank Services
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the cost of providing (a) banking and (b) insurance facilities to Huntingdon Life Sciences in each year since 2001. [256995]
Ian Pearson: There has been no cost to the Department for the provision of any such facilities to Huntingdon Life Sciences since 2001.
Manufacturing Industries: Motor Vehicles
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will co-operate with other European governments to loan money to (a) GM Motors, (b) Opel and (c) Vauxhall car manufacturers to support these companies during the economic downturn. [263967]
Ian Pearson: I had a constructive meeting in Brussels with GM Europe and ministerial counterparts from EU member states on 13 March. We are waiting to see GM Europe's future plan and, when this is made available, we will be able to discuss how we can best continue to help the company.
Motor Vehicles: Government Assistance
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much of the £2.3 billion set aside to support the UK car industry has been spent. [262049]
Ian Pearson: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes) on 17 March 2009, Official Report, column 1130W.
Motor Vehicles: Industry
Grant Shapps: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the cost to the public purse was of the motor industry summit held on 28 January 2009. [259748]
Ian Pearson: The meeting took place in the BERR Conference Centre and light refreshments were provided. The hard charged (internal cost) room rate was £110 and the catering cost £28.75. This does not include the costs for the time of those who attended the summit.
Union Modernisation Fund
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2009, Official Report, column 1700W, on the union modernisation fund, if he will ask his Department's Accounting Officer to assess the appropriateness of the practice of the Supervisory Board of not keeping formal records of its decisions. [263224]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 12 March 2009]: The functions and remit of the board, which was established following a public consultation, includes:
“The board will be advised and supported by BERR officials. Subject to this the board is responsible for determining its own procedures, including protocol in cases of possible conflicts of interest.”
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2009, Official Report, column 1700W, on the union modernisation fund, how decisions of the Supervisory Board are (a) recorded and (b) communicated to Ministers. [263225]
Mr. McFadden: Action records are kept of the decisions taken and these are communicated to Ministers by the secretariat.
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2009, Official Report, column 1700W, on the union modernisation fund, if he will make it his Department's policy to require the Supervisory Board to produce formal minutes in line with the guidance documents of (a) the Records Management Code and (b) Managing Private Office Records. [263226]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 12 March 2009]: The UMF Supervisory Board's remit was set following a consultation. Part of its remit is:
"The board will be advised and supported by BERR officials. Subject to this the board is responsible for determining its own procedures, including protocol in cases of possible conflicts of interest".
Mr. Maude: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform who the (a) members and (b) chairmen of the Union Modernisation Fund Supervisory Board are. [263227]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 12 March 2009]: The members of the Supervisory Board are:
Sir Bill Connor (Chair)
Bruce Warman
Professor Willy Brown, CBE
Jeannie Drake, CBE
Danny Carrigan
Adrian Askew
In addition two new board members have joined this month they are:
Professor David Gordon
David Lebrecht
Communities and Local Government
Allotments
Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to ensure parish and town councils which wish to provide allotments for residents are able to do so. [265435]
Margaret Beckett: Parish and town councils which wish to provide allotments for residents are already able to do so. Section 23 of the Small Holdings and Allotments Act 1908 places a duty on local authorities (except for inner London boroughs) to provide sufficient allotments where they consider that there is a demand for them in their area.
My noble Friend Baroness Andrews recently hosted a meeting with allotment policy stakeholders to consider current trends, issues and priorities for action and with their help we are drawing up options about how we can provide further support to local authorities, including parish and town councils
One of the key actions that came out of that meeting is to update the good practice guidance, “growing in the community”, with a clear map of allotment law/guidance to ensure that all councils are aware of their obligations and good practice in the provision of allotments.
Calor Gas: Canvey Island
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received on Calor Gas submitting a new application for development on Canvey Island; and if she will make a statement. [264929]
Margaret Beckett: The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government understands that no new application has been submitted to Castlepoint borough council by Calor Gas for development on Canvey Island. My right hon. Friend has not received any representations.
Home Improvement Agencies
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of reductions in private sector housing renewal grants upon home improvement agencies; what representations she has received on this issue; and if she will make a statement. [265349]
Margaret Beckett: £10.2 billion has been allocated by my Department for 2008-11 for regional housing capital programmes including those which address the condition of private sector housing stock. Of this almost £2 billion is for improvements and regeneration to the existing stock (both local authority owned and private sector). We have issued guidance to regional assemblies which asks them to continue to prioritise those most in need with the expectation that packages of assistance including grants, loans, and equity release schemes are made available to individual homeowners.
Local authorities return information annually through their Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix on the total number and value of grants and loans they provide for private sector renewal. This information is published for each authority and in aggregate form on the Department’s website. The Department does not collect information on income streams of home improvement agencies.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to assist home improvement agencies facing budget difficulties; and what assessment she has made of the future role which may be played by such agencies. [265350]
Margaret Beckett: Home improvement agencies (HIAs) are not funded directly by Communities and Local Government. However, there are a number of funding streams which are paid to local authorities which can be used to fund and deliver HIA services. CLG announced a three year allocation for Supporting People in December 2007 of £4.9 billion over period 2008-09 to 2010-11. This provides stability for service planning and delivery over this period. New handypersons funding of £33 million is available over 2009-10 to 2010-11 to build capacity in the sector.
The Disabled Facilities Grant provides a source of fee income for HIAs. The budget is £468 million over the three years 2008-09 to 2010-11.
In addition CLG sponsors the national body for HIAs (Foundations) to support the work of the agencies and service commissioners.
In autumn 2007 CLG commissioned Foundations to carry out research and produce a report on the options for the future delivery of HIA services. A summary report was published in September 2008.
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