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12 May 2009 : Column 656W—continued
Fuel poverty is not measured in terms of number of people who are fuel poor. The Government's long-term objective, as prefigured by s.1 of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 is that, as far as reasonably practicable, by 22 November 2016, persons in England should not live in fuel poverty. The interim objective of the Fuel Poverty Strategy in England is that, so far as reasonably practicable, the Government would seek an end to fuel poverty for vulnerable households by 2010. The Government set no annual targets in respect of the 2016 and 2010 targets.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the proportion of UK (a) carbon dioxide and (b) other greenhouse gas emissions arising from (i) cars, (ii) buses, (iii) all road vehicles, (iv) trains, (v) aviation and (vi) shipping in each of the last 10 years. [266631]
Joan Ruddock: The latest 2008 provisional estimates of greenhouse gas emissions were published on 26 March 2009. DEFRA is currently publishing the DECC climate change statistics; the 2008 Final UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions National Statistics may be found at the following web address:
The proportion of UK (a) carbon dioxide and (b) other greenhouse gas emissions arising from (i) cars, (ii) buses, (iii) all road vehicles, (iv) trains, (v) domestic aviation and (vi) domestic shipping in each of the last 10 years, are shown in the following table. These figures have been compiled from the DECC Provisional UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions National Statistics. These percentages are calculated on an ‘End User’ basis, i.e. the emissions are reallocated from the production and distribution of energy to the users of that energy.
Housing: Standards
Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many buildings in each of the last five years have been constructed to PassivHaus standards. [249776]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 20 January 2009]: There is currently only one building completed to the PassivHaus Standard as certified by the Building Research Establishment (BRE) in the UK—Canolfan Hyddgen in Machynlleth, Wales. This was designed and constructed by JPW Construction.
Low Carbon Buildings Programme
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the budget of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 is; and how much has been spent on Phase 1 to date. [271991]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The budget for the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 is £36 million. Currently the total grant spend is £12,895,587.50. In addition £3.4 million has been spent on administration and certification in relation to the programme.
Peers' Interests
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 409W, on Peers’ interests, on what date the proposed meeting was cancelled. [266356]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: We were informed of the cancellation on 31 January 2009.
Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress the Government (a) made during 2008 and (b) has made to date in 2009 towards meeting the targets in the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [274029]
Joan Ruddock: The Government's UK Sixth Annual Progress Report on Fuel Poverty was published on 2 October 2008. It shows that, in 2006, the latest period for which figures are available, there were around 3.5 million households in fuel poverty across the UK, an increase of one million households since 2005. Around 2.75 million of these were vulnerable households (containing children, the elderly, or a person who is disabled or long-term sick).
In England, there were around 2.4 million fuel poor households, of which around 1.9 million were vulnerable. This represents a rise of 900,000 households from 2005 to 2006 and a rise of 700,000 vulnerable households over the same period.
As fuel prices continue to rise faster than incomes, the proportion of households in fuel poverty continued to increase. Projections indicate that for 2008, a further 1.2 million households in England might be in fuel poverty.
More recent progress will be reported in the Seventh Annual Progress Report on Fuel Poverty to be published later this year.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 on fuel poverty since July 2008; and if he will make a statement. [274030]
Joan Ruddock: DECC has not commissioned research on the effect of the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000. However, I announced a review of fuel poverty during evidence to the EFRA Select Committee on 14 January 2009.
The Review is examining whether existing measures to tackle fuel poverty could be made more effective. It is also considering whether new policies should be introduced to help us make further progress towards our goals, particularly in light of market conditions and our aims to reduce carbon emissions.
The initial findings of the Fuel Poverty Review are expected in the summer of 2009.
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials in his Department at each pay band have responsibility for the (a) formulation and (b) implementation of policy on the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000; what other posts in his Department and its predecessors each such official has held; and if he will make a statement. [274051]
Joan Ruddock: DECC has the following officials by pay band with responsibility for fuel poverty and the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000.
| Number | |
DECC is planning to supplement the team with two additional Grade 7 posts. In addition support is provided when required from other parts of DECC.
Women and Equality
Departmental Computers
Mr. Hoban: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many laptop computers have been provided to (a) Ministers, (b) special advisers and (c) civil servants in the Government Equalities Office since its creation; and at what cost. [268262]
Maria Eagle: The Government Equalities Office was established on 12 October 2007. Since then a total of 21 laptops have been purchased for use by civil servants only. The total cost of providing these laptops was £39,032.
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