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2 Apr 2009 : Column 1363W—continued
The UK does not fund international fusion research directly, though it contributes to the Euratom European fusion research programme through its payments to the EU budget.
Renewable Energy: Finance
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) how much has been raised through the sale of renewables obligation certificates by central Government departments in each year of the scheme; [266611]
(2) how many renewables obligation certificates have been supplied to central Government departments in each year of the scheme. [266612]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Details of renewables obligation certificates issued can be found in the Renewables and CHP register located on the Ofgem website. According to the register no central Government Departments are accredited to receive renewables obligation certificates directly.
Renewable Energy: Manpower
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many manufacturing jobs there were in the renewable energy industry in each of the last 10 years. [265509]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 18 March 2009, Official Report, column 1266W, regarding manufacturing jobs created in the renewable energy industry.
DECC does not collate employment information for this sector on a year by year basis.
Sellafield
Mr. Meacher: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the level of production of the mixed-oxide fuel plant at Sellafield has been in each year of its operation; and what the net return of the plant was in each of those years. [266653]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 26 March 2009]: The production and net cash flow figures for each year of operation are:
| Year | tHM | Cash flow (£ million s) |
| (1) Estimate | ||
Net cash flow is arrived at by deducting operating costs, overheads and subcontracts from sales. £498 million of capital costs and £139.4 million of commissioning costs were incurred prior to the production phase of commissioning.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent risk assessment his Department has undertaken in relation to hydrogen evolution in silos at Sellafield. [267009]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Assessment of the risks associated with the inventory in the silos is a matter for the site licence company, Sellafield Ltd., and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.
Assessing and managing the risk of hydrogen generation is fundamental to the safe operation and maintenance of the Magnox swarf storage silo. The risks are continuously monitored and reviewed regularly and updated throughout the year.
Robust and ongoing risk assessment is assured through HSE scrutiny of safety cases for ongoing operations and plant modifications. These risk assessments are underpinned by regular audits and inspections.
Warm Front Scheme
Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people aged (a) under and (b) over 60 years in each (i) region and (ii) local authority area (A) were offered a Warm Front grant, (B) were required to pay a top-up to a Warm Front grant and (C) did not take up a Warm Front grant offer in each of the last five years. [253606]
Joan Ruddock: The requested figures are available from the beginning of the current phase of the Warm Front scheme (June 2005). The number of applicants (a) under and (b) over 60 years of age in each (i) region and (ii) local authority area who (A) were offered a Warm Front grant and (B) required to make a contribution to the cost of works have been placed in the House Library.
(C) Data on those who do not proceed with grant assistance is not recorded by region or local authority area, but we can advise that since June 2005, 6,076 households have withdrawn from the scheme and a further 14,326 households (as at October 2008) have put their application on hold. Rising costs have led to more people being asked to contribute and this has probably contributed to these figures. Grant maxima are being considered as part of the review of Warm Front.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what payment is made to Eaga in respect of each Warm Front installation of (a) energy efficient light bulbs, (b) draught proofing and (c) hot water tank jackets. [257473]
Joan Ruddock: The Department does not make payments to Eaga in respect of each individual measures. However, the Department does pay both fixed and variable fees to Eaga, which in turn pays the suppliers.
The average costs of the three measures, as charged against the individual grant, are as follows:
(a) Compact Fluorescent Light bulbs sent by post—£8.09
(b) Draught proofing—£142.83
(c) Hot water tank jacket—£16.98
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many complaints regarding the Warm Front scheme his Department and its predecessor have recorded (a) from residents of Birkenhead constituency and (b) nationally. [258572]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 25 February 2009]: Eaga, the scheme manager, records and monitors complaints received about the scheme on DECC's behalf. The recent NAO report states that complaints to the scheme have remained relatively static at around 1.5 per cent. between June 2005 and March 2008, and of these complaints 0.5 per cent. were upheld.
In the period 1 June 2005 to 31 January 2009, Eaga recorded 13,107 complaints nationally, of which 4,574 were upheld. Of these, 75 were in the Birkenhead constituency where 24 were upheld.
The Department has kept a record of all Warm Front correspondence cases since January 2007. The total number of cases received by the Department is approximately 1,750. However not all of these cases will necessarily be complaints. DECC has recently put in place mechanisms for recording and monitoring all complaints received, though substantive figures are not yet available.
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many boilers have been (a) installed under the Warm Front scheme and (b) replaced under the scheme (i) in Birkenhead constituency and (ii) nationally. [258573]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 25 February 2009]: In the period from 1 June 2005 to 31 January 2009 the number of boilers installed (as part of a full central heating installation), and the number of replacement boilers (as a repair of an existing system) offered under the Warm Front scheme in Birkenhead and England were:
(a) 338 boilers installed (full central heating installations).
(b) 856 replacement boilers (central heating repairs),
(a) 66,505 boilers installed (full central heating installations).
(b) 208,734 replacement boilers (central heating repairs).
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many houses have been insulated in (a) England, (b) Hampshire and (c) Winchester under Government schemes in each of the last five years. [265605]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 23 March 2009]: Energy suppliers are not currently required to collect data beyond a GB-wide level. Figures published by Ofgem show the numbers treated as follows:
| Priority Group | Non-Priority Group | |
Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (2008-2011)
Initial figures released by Ofgem for the first three quarters of the present obligation show:
| Number | |
A detailed breakdown will not become available until the close of the obligation in March 2011.
Warm Front is the Government's main Scheme for tacking fuel poverty and delivers a range of energy saving measures to those in receipt of qualifying benefits. The Scheme is administered by a single contractor, eaga plc, and operates throughout England. The number of homes insulated under the scheme are as follows:
| Scheme year | ||||||
| Area | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09( 1) | Total |
| (1) Data available up to 25 January 2009. | ||||||
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Warm Front contractors are employed in (a) Shropshire, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England. [267758]
Joan Ruddock: The number of contractors employed in (a) Shropshire, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England is as follows:
| Area | Number |
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what proportion of Warm Front grants awarded in (a) Shropshire, (b) the West Midlands and (c) England were subject to an excess payment in 2008. [267762]
Joan Ruddock: The proportions of Warm Front grants in (a) Shropshire, (b) West Midlands and (c) England that required a client contribution are detailed as follows. These data are based on the period 1 April 2008 until 6 March 2009, which is most recent period for which consolidated data is available.
| Area | Proportion of people required to pay a contribution (percentage) |
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