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23 Mar 2009 : Column 172W—continued
Electricity Generation
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his most recent estimate is of the average cost per unit of electricity generated from each type of renewable source. [263021]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The generation cost of different technologies are measured in terms of levelised costs and are presented on a £ per megawatt hour basis. The Government have carried out analysis on generation costs in some detail in recent years to inform policy decisions. Some of these estimates have been published as part of the Energy Review (2006). 2008 estimates suggest the following indicative costs (£/MWh) associated with generating lMWh of electricity from renewable sources:
| £/MWh | |
Energy: Consumers
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is undertaking to promote the benefits of energy supplier switching to energy consumers who have not previously switched supplier. [256850]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The Department has funded with Ofgem the Energy Best Deal, a pilot scheme to train front-line advice workers to help low income householders get the best deal on energy bills. Last year, Ofgem conducted a probe into energy markets, which found that some customers needed more information to help them participate effectively in the market. Ofgem is now considering what other means can be used to increase customers’ involvement in the market.
Energy: Meters
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with energy supply companies on the use of pre-payment gas and electricity meters; and if he will make a statement. [256884]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 23 February 2009]: Ministers have met with energy suppliers and discussed a range of issues in the energy supply markets. Following the results of the Ofgem probe into energy markets, Ministers have emphasised to suppliers that they expect all consumers to be treated fairly, whatever the method they use to pay for their gas and electricity supply.
EU Emissions Trading Scheme
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the use of revenues generated from the auctioning of pollution allowances in the EU Emissions Trading Scheme for the construction of new unabated but carbon capture ready coal-fired power plant, as referred to in the EU energy package; and what plans he has to discuss the use of these revenues with his EU counterparts. [264523]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) auction revenues will not be hypothecated to support the construction of new unabated carbon-capture ready coal-fired power plant.
In December 2008, the European Council adopted a political declaration indicating EU member states’ willingness to spend at least half of the auction revenues under the revised EU Emissions Trading System to tackle climate change both in the EU and in developing countries. This will include reducing emissions, adapting to climate change, developing renewable technologies and providing for the environmentally safe capture and storage of greenhouse gases.
In addition to this, the revised Emissions Trading System Directive provides for 300 million emissions allowances to be made available until the end of 2015 from the new entrant reserve to co-fund up to 12 commercial scale demonstrations of environmentally safe carbon capture and storage and innovative renewable energy technologies to provide an incentive for their rapid development.
Government Communications
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff in (a) his Department and (b) its agencies (i) are classified as Government communicators and (ii) have access to the Government Communication Network. [256073]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: DECC has 13 members of staff who are classified as Government communicators and have access to the Government Communication Network. These include:
One Director of Communications
One Head of News
One Chief Press Officer
Four Press Officers
Six Marketing officers
DECC has no executive agencies.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter to him dated 15 January 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. R. Allan. [260336]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State replied to my right hon. Friend on 17 March 2009.
Natural Gas
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of natural gas used in the UK in 2008 came from (a) UK Continental Shelf production, (b) imports from Norway, (c) imports from the Russian Federation and (d) other sources. [256004]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Provisional data for 2008 show that the UK’s gross demand (including exports) for natural gas was sourced as follows: (a) Net production of natural gas from the UK Continental Shelf, 65 per cent., (b) from Norway, 25 per cent., (c) from the Russian Federation, negligible, and (d) from other sources, 10 per cent. (8 per cent. from the Netherlands).
Monthly imports and exports of natural gas by country are published in Energy Trends Table 4.3 on the DECC/BERR website at this address
Nuclear Power Stations
Dr. Howells: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) Health and Safety Executive and (b) Nuclear Installations Inspectorate staff work (i) full-time and (ii) part-time on the generic design assessment (GDA) of new power station designs; and how many such staff he expects to work on the GDA in each of the next three years. [260441]
Jonathan Shaw: I have been asked to reply.
The amount of time Nuclear Inspectors in the Health and Safety Executive spent on generic design assessment (GDA) in the last two quarters was:
| Days | |
This is entirely made up of Nuclear Installations Inspectorate staff working on GDA. Approximately 7 per cent. of this effort is from staff not dedicated just to GDA, so only working part-time on GDA.
We expect around 25 Inspectors to be working on GDA up to mid June 2011. It is too early to estimate how many Inspectors will be working on the new nuclear build programme after that date.
Renewable Energy: Public Consultation
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish a list of (a) respondents and (b) responses to the Government’s consultation on the UK Renewable Energy Strategy. [264633]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 19 March 2009]: The summary of responses to the Renewable Energy Strategy consultation and the full text of responses are available online at:
Justice
Departmental Disciplinary Proceedings
Mr. Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff in his Department have been subject to disciplinary action for breaches of IT security policy in each of the last three years. [263836]
Mr. Straw: The Department takes data security very seriously and new mandated measures to improve and strengthen controls in the protection of personal data were introduced following the Government’s Review of Data Handling last year. Since the Ministry was established in May 2007, central records show that 19 staff in 2007 and 37 staff in 2008 were subject to disciplinary action for breaches of IT security policy. The types of incidents would have included, but not exclusively, mis-use of e-mail and internet browsing. None of the incidents compromised the integrity of the Department’s IT systems.
Entry Clearances: Appeals
Mr. Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many family visitor visa appeals were (a) received and (b) upheld in each of the last six years. [264759]
Bridget Prentice: The number of family visitor visa appeals that were received and granted by an adjudicator/immigration judge in each of the last six years is shown in the following table:
| Appeal receipts | Appeals allowed | |
| (1 )Outcomes data were not published prior to April 2005. The allowed figures for 2003-04 and 2004-05 are estimates based on the distribution of outcomes from an alternative data source. (2) Data are provisional and subject to final reconciliation. | ||
Extradition: USA
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much HM Courts Service has spent in relation to cases of extradition of people to the United States in each year since 2001. [264515]
Bridget Prentice: HM Courts Service does not maintain records relating to the costs of extradition hearings. HM Courts Service would have to undertake a manual exercise to obtain the data required to answer the question. HM Court Service considers the costs of such an exercise would incur a disproportionate cost.
Firearms: Young People
Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people aged (a) 14 to 17 and (b) 18 to 21 years old have been prosecuted for firearms offences in each year since 2001. [264709]
Mr. Hanson: Information on the number of persons found guilty at all courts for firearm offences in England and Wales 2001 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in the following table.
The figures given in the table relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences, the offence selected is the one for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
Court proceedings data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
| Number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for firearm offences in England and Wales, by age group, 2001 - 07( 1, 2) | ||
| Proceeded against | ||
| Age 14-17 | Age 18-21 | |
| (1) These data are on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform: Evidence and Analysis Unit. | ||
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