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8 Jun 2009 : Column 722W—continued
Fuel Poverty: North-West
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what trends in energy prices he forecasts for the forthcoming winter; and what assessment he has made of the likely effect of those trends on fuel poverty levels in (a) the north-west and (b) the UK. [278681]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: DECC do not publish projections of energy prices. Ofgem have recently published their second quarterly report which provides greater transparency regarding the relationship between wholesale prices and retail energy prices.
http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Pages/MoreInformation. aspx?docid=98&refer=Markets/RetMkts/ensuppro
Fuels: Prices
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his latest estimate is of the average monthly fuel bill for a (a) one bedroom, (b) two bedroom, (c) three bedroom and (d) four or more bedroom property. [277703]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: DECC does not hold any data on electricity and gas bills on a monthly basis or by property size.
The Department’s latest estimates for the average annual domestic energy bills relate to the year to December 2008 and are published in Quarterly Energy Prices, the latest edition of which was published in March 2009, available online at:
For an average consumer using 3,300 kWh of electricity and 18,000 kWh of gas per year and paying their bills on receipt (standard credit), in 2008 the average annual electricity bill was £405 and the average gas bill was £570.
Housing: Insulation
Mr. Milburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many houses have been insulated in (a) each region of England and (b) Darlington under Government schemes in each of the last five years. [275749]
Joan Ruddock: The following tables detail the number of homes insulated in (a) each region of England and (b) Darlington under Warm Front in the last five years.
| (a) insulated households in each region of England | |||||
| Region | 2004-05 | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
| (1) Unavailable | |||||
| (b) Insulated households in Darlington | |
| Number | |
| Note: Households insulated may have received one or more measures, such as cavity wall and loft insulation. Additionally, figures for 2004-05 do not include the Eastern Region or Yorkshire and the Humber as these areas were managed by a different Scheme Manager at this time (Powergen) and the data retained are not sufficient to provide a consolidated response. | |
International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Co-operation
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Co-operation (IPEEC) was launched; what resources the UK has committed in support of the IPEEC; where the IPEEC secretariat will be based; what plans he has to invite other prospective IPEEC partners to join; how the output of IPEEC will be disseminated; and what plans he has to report to Parliament on the work of the IPEEC. [278384]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The International Partnership for Energy Efficiency Co-operation (IPEEC) was formally launched at the meeting of G8 Energy Ministers in Rome on 24 May 2009. IPEEC is intended as a high level forum to co-ordinate international action and facilitate the exchange of information in order to promote the development of effective policies and measures to promote energy efficiency globally.
The partnership will hold its first working level meetings later this year at which the detailed work programme and the indicative budget for the IPEEC will be determined. IPEEC's Terms of Reference provide for all resource contributions, whether in-kind or financial, to be made on a voluntary basis.
The Secretariat for the IPEEC will be hosted by the International Energy Agency and nationals of all the partner countries will be eligible to apply for posts within the Secretariat. The Secretariat will have an important role to play in disseminating the output from the IPEEC work programme through workshops, publications, electronic communication tools and input to wider international energy and climate change processes. We hope that IPEEC will quickly expand beyond its founding members (the G8, China, India, South Korea, Brazil, Mexico and the European Commission). At the G8 Energy Ministers meeting the partners issued an open invitation for all interested countries to join IPEEC. We will report on progress when we report on our international energy strategy as part of the DECC Annual Report.
Low Carbon Buildings Programme
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) solar photovoltaic (PV) and (b) other projects have been completed under the low carbon buildings programme Phase 2; how many solar PV projects are awaiting funding approval; and if he will make a statement. [273651]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 8 May 2009]: Under Phase 2 of the low carbon buildings programme the number of (a) solar photovoltaic (PV) and (b) other projects have been completed are shown in the following table. To date £27.3 million has been committed to solar photovoltaic projects and 155 projects are awaiting approval, which should bring the total commitment to £31.5 million. A further 150 solar photovoltaic projects will be held on a waiting list.
| Technology type | Committed payment to projects | Number of projects paid |
Mines Rescue Service: Finance
David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer of 14 July 2008, Official Report, column 72W, on the Mines Rescue Service: finance, what recent consideration the Coal Forum has given to the proposal for the Government to serve as guarantor of the financial bonds the European Commission requires from the Mines Rescue Service Limited for it to participate in the research programme of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel; and if he will make a statement. [277361]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 1 June 2009]: Although the Coal Forum has in the past discussed various aspects of mines rescue provision and its financing, the issue of financial bonds in relation to European Commission research projects has not been specifically raised with it. I have, however, asked my officials to establish with Mines Rescue Services Ltd. the extent to which the bonding requirements in question continue to pose operational difficulties for the company and, if so, to advise me what steps might be taken to mitigate them.
Plutonium
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will provide funding for travel and accommodation for stakeholders to attend the meeting on civil plutonium policy being held at Manchester airport on 21 May 2009. [276937]
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change who was invited to his Department's meeting on plutonium management at the Manchester Airport Hotel on 21 May 2009; who (a) accepted and (b) declined those invitations; what reasons were given by those who declined; how much was spent on that meeting; whether funding was made available to those attending the meeting for expenses incurred in attending; how many officials from his Department attended; how much was spent on their travel and accommodation; who facilitated the meeting; and whether external consultants were used to organise and conduct the meeting. [277332]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: Those invited to the meeting on 21 May were:
1. Allerdale borough council
2. Copeland borough council
3. Cumbria county council
4. Highland council
5. Shetland Highland council
6. SERA
7. Greenpeace
8. Core
9. Nuclear institute
10. Nuclear Free Local Authorities Steering Committee
11. Isle of Man Government
12. Irish Government
13. Nuclear Industry Association
14. Scottish Government
15. Welsh Assembly
16. NuLeAF
17. Corwm
18. Friends of the Earth
19. West Cumbria Site Stakeholder Group
20. Dounreay Site Stakeholder Group
21. Dr. Rachel Western
22. Dr. David Lowry.
Of those who were invited, Greenpeace, Nuclear institute, Nuclear Free Local Authorities Steering Committee, Irish Government, Isle of Man Government, Nuclear Industry Association, Copeland borough council, Cumbria county council, Shetland Highland council, Scottish Government, NuLeAF, Corwm, West Cumbria Site Stakeholder Group, Dounreay Site Stakeholder Group and Dr. Rachel Western accepted. Only the Welsh Assembly formally declined as they were unavailable.
The total cost of the meeting, including the meeting room hire and the facilitators, was about £6,200.
Expenses were not paid to those attending.
Two officials attended the meeting. Their travel and accommodation costs were about £700.
The meeting was facilitated by the Environment Council who helped organise and conduct the meeting.
Regional Electricity Companies
David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations he has received from (a) the Association of Electricity Producers and (b) Drax Power Limited on the effects of the implementation of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005. [276536]
Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 20 May 2009]: According to departmental records there have been no representations to the Secretary of State from either the Association of Electricity Producers or Drax Power Limited concerning the effects of implementing the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.
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