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15 Jun 2009 : Column 118W—continued
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what requirements there are upon (a) his Department and (b) the Government to hold equity equivalent to the debt of NHS trusts; [279201]
(2) what methodology his Department uses to account for the (a) actual and (b) potential debt of NHS trusts and foundation trusts. [279481]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: All debt owed to the Department by a national health service trust or NHS foundation trust is recorded as assets on the Department's balance sheet equal to the liability in the NHS trust accounts.
Where the debt owed to the Department is in the form of a loan this is further disclosed in notes to the Department's accounts.
Primary Care Trusts
Mr. Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been allocated to primary care trusts under his Department's Express Local Improvement Finance Trust programme; and if he will make a statement. [279932]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: No specific additional funding has been allocated to primary care trusts under the Department's Express Local Improvement Finance Trust (LIFT) programme.
The Department invested £210 million of enabling capital funding in the first four waves of the original LIFT programme to assist primary care trusts and local authorities with the costs of appointing long-term partners from the private sector.
The Express LIFT framework has been designed, through the careful pre-selection and approval of the Express LIFT framework partners, to reduce the time and cost for primary care trusts in appointing LIFT partners. This has eliminated the need for any further allocation of enabling funds for the formation of any future LIFT partnerships.
Social Services: Illegal Immigrants
Mr. Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many reports of care providers employing illegal immigrants have been received by the (a) Commission for Social Care Inspection and (b) Care Quality Commission in each year since its establishment; how many such reports have been investigated; and how many illegal immigrants have been found to be working in the care sector by each commission as a result of such investigations to date. [279215]
Phil Hope: We are informed by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) that it does not routinely collect information about the number of illegal workers in care services and that no estimates of the numbers of such workers have been made.
CQC is responsible for regulating and inspecting care services against statutory regulations and national minimum standards—as was its predecessor, the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI), until 1 April 2009. If care services are not meeting these requirements, including those in relation to recruitment and staffing, CQC may take enforcement action against them.
However, CQC has no specific responsibilities regarding immigration and is not responsible for prosecuting employers in relation to immigration offences. This is the responsibility of the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA).
CSCI agreed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the UKBA in December 2008. The purpose of the MoU was to facilitate co-operation, communication and co-ordination between CSCI and UKBA, to help ensure regulated adult social care services comply with immigration law and best recruitment practice to safeguard the best interests of people who use care services.
Discussions to develop a MoU between the UKBA and CQC are ongoing. The working arrangements set out in the existing MoU will continue until this is agreed.
Sugar
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the contribution that can be made to public health by reducing the amount of extrinsic sugars in foods and beverages; and if he will make a statement; [278944]
(2) when he expects the Food Standards Agency to consult the public on the next steps in the Saturated Fat and Energy Intake Programme; and whether that consultation will include options for reducing the amount of extrinsic sugar in food and beverages. [278945]
Gillian Merron: The Food Standards Agency has lead responsibility for taking forward the work with industry to reduce consumption of, and levels of, sugar in food, including drinks with added sugar.
This work supports the cross-Government obesity strategy—Healthy Weight Healthy Lives—which encourages industry to reduce the level of sugar in foods to help consumers balance the calories they consume with their needs.
The agency will be publishing its consultation on voluntary recommendations for action by the food industry to reduce levels of saturated fat, added sugar and portion size for key foods and drink within the next couple of months. These recommendations include sugar reductions for soft drinks, which have been part of discussions with the soft drinks industry. A Cabinet Office report on food, published in January 2008, estimated that a reduction in calories from added sugar to within public health recommendations could potentially avert 3,500 deaths per year.
Mike Penning:
To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in achieving targets for reducing the incidence of childhood obesity; and what steps he is taking to increase (a) availability
to and (b) uptake by children of reduced sugar versions of beverages and foods. [278946]
Gillian Merron: The most recent data in the Health Survey for England showed that the estimated prevalence of obesity among children 2-10 years was 15.4 per cent. in 2007. The NHS Information Centre have indicated that the trend in the prevalence of childhood obesity may have begun to level out over the last two to three years. Confirmation of this change will require at least one more year's data.
The Food Standards Agency's Saturated Fat and Energy Intake Programme encompasses work to reduce consumption of, and levels of, sugar in food and drink. As part of this, the agency will shortly consult on voluntary recommendations for action by the industry to reduce added sugar in soft drinks.
The Government have also launched the Change4Life campaign which provides messages on reducing intake of added sugar.
Further work to limit sugar intake in children is being taken forward by the School Food Trust, e.g. providing healthier foods in vending machines and the introduction of nutrient based standards for school lunches. In addition, Ofcom has restricted the broadcast advertising of foods high in fat, salt, and sugar during children's programmes and programmes of particular appeal to children up to the age of 16.
Tobacco
John Cummings: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has provided to other Government Departments on their dealings with the tobacco industry under the guidelines of Article 5.3 of the World Health Organisation’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. [278993]
Gillian Merron: The Secretary of State for Health wrote to the Prime Minster on 1 May 2009, to draw the attention of all Government Departments to the set of guidelines under article 5.3, which concerns Government engagement with the tobacco industry.
“In setting and implementing their public health policies with respect to tobacco control, Parties shall act to protect these policies from commercial and other vested interests of the tobacco industry in accordance with national law.”
A copy of the letter has been placed in the Library.
Tobacco: Sales
Dr. Ladyman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will consult the National Federation of Retail Newsagents on the provisions contained in Part 3 of the Health Bill [ Lords]. [278303]
Gillian Merron: The Department's policy has always been to consult interested stakeholders. This includes consultation on tobacco policy and legislation.
The National Federation of Retail Newsagents provided a consultation response to the ‘Consultation on the future of tobacco control’ which was reflected in the report on that consultation, which considered the legislation on prohibiting tobacco displays.
The National Federation of Retail Newsagents met Baroness Thornton during the passage of the Health Bill through the House of Lords and are setting a date to meet departmental officials during the passage of the Bill through the House of Commons.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Emissions: Electronic Equipment
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the carbon dioxide emissions arising from the continuous operation of (a) televisions and (b) other electrical goods in electrical goods outlets. [279043]
Dan Norris: I have been asked to reply.
No such estimate has been made by DEFRA. The Department holds no information on carbon dioxide emissions from televisions and other electrical goods displayed in shops.
Carbon Emissions: Housing
Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of implications for his Department’s policies of the definition of zero-carbon used in proposed new buildings standards approved by the European Parliament. [278279]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 8 June 2009]: An assessment has not been made of the amendments recently proposed by the European Parliament to the recast of the energy performance of buildings directive. The European Commission is considering the amendments and will adopt a position on them shortly. We will assess the implications of the position adopted by the Commission at that stage.
We are currently preparing a consultation document on the recast of the energy performance of buildings directive which is scheduled for publication in July 2009.
Eaga
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what payments his Department and its predecessors have made to Eaga for providing benefits advice in each of the last five years. [256919]
Joan Ruddock: Payments for this provision form part of the contract between the Department and Eaga and, as such, are commercially sensitive.
Energy Saving Trust
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2009, Official Report, column 523W, on the Energy Saving Trust, how his Department monitors the annual performance of the Energy Saving Trust; and on what basis the Trust’s estimates of annual and lifetime carbon dioxide savings are calculated. [264844]
Joan Ruddock: The Energy Saving Trust proposes an annual programme of work aimed at reducing domestic CO2 emissions, which is grant funded by DECC. The trust reports to DECC on a quarterly basis on the progress of the work, including achievements against a number of key performance indicators.
The Energy Saving Trust undertakes evaluations to assess impact across the range of activities for its main audiences. The evaluations employ rigorous methodologies involving both quantitative and qualitative surveys of target audiences (e.g. consumers), developed with independent evaluation consultancies to determine influence on annual and lifetime CO2 emissions.
Quantitative evaluation activity takes the form of impact assessments that aim to identify the CO2 savings attributable to Energy Saving Trust activity and the cost of these savings. Impact assessments are undertaken through specifically designed evaluation surveys of a representative sample of audience members to identify actions that have been undertaken as a result of the trust’s programme activities. The assessments of CO2 savings are aligned with values used for Government policies (e.g. CERT for energy efficiency measures) wherever possible.
The above evaluation is supported by qualitative evaluation, the objective of which is to ensure that the trust understands how impacts have been achieved. Lessons learned are then fed into the planning and development of any future activity.
Energy: Prices
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the effect on the average annual household energy bill of the operation of (a) the climate change levy and climate change agreements, (b) the renewables obligation, (c) the energy efficiency commitment/carbon emissions reduction target, (d) the EU emissions trading scheme and (e) other environmental mechanisms in each of the last three years. [278404]
Joan Ruddock: DECC's analysis estimates that the benefits to the UK of our main measures to help avert climate change could outweigh the costs by more than 10 times. Where these measures lead to an international climate agreement consistent with delivering a 450ppm stabilisation of greenhouse gas atmospheric concentrations, we estimate the total benefits at £241.9 billion. This compares with total costs of £20.6 billion. The Impact Assessment can be found at:
Of current average electricity bills for medium-sized household consumers, approximately 12 to 14 per cent. is attributable to climate change legislation (the Renewables Obligation, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target).
For domestic gas consumers, DECC estimates costs of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target on average gas bills at approximately 2 per cent. However the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target supports energy efficiency measures for households and so will deliver over time an overall saving greater than its total cost to consumers.
The Climate Change Levy and Climate Change Agreements apply to businesses, not to households.
An energy and climate change strategy setting out the proposals and policies for meeting carbon budgets will be laid before Parliament in the summer. This report will put the Government's carbon reduction strategy in the context of the overall programme for delivering secure and low-carbon energy, transport and housing, in a way which benefits the UK economy into the future. An estimate of the cost of the proposed financial mechanism for carbon capture and storage demonstration will also be published as part of the Impact Assessment alongside the consultation in the summer.
Fossil Fuels: Subsidies
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he is taking to ensure that global fossil fuel subsidies are reduced as part of a post-2012 agreement at the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change conference of parties to the Kyoto Protocol in Copenhagen in December 2009. [265219]
Joan Ruddock: We recognise that fossil fuel subsidies form a barrier to the development, deployment and diffusion of low carbon technologies.
Each country will have different strategies for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions. Where countries have absolute emissions reduction targets, it is clear that the removal of subsidies is one way in which they could meet such targets.
For developing countries that do not have absolute emissions reduction targets, the EU has proposed that “low carbon development strategies” be prepared, to enable these countries to take action to reduce their emissions. Efforts to remove subsidies could be part of these plans, and support could be provided by the international community to enable this to occur.
Members: Correspondence
Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Northavon of 21 November 2008, regarding Warm Front grants, sent on behalf of Mr. Hussey. [260111]
Joan Ruddock: I replied to the hon. Member for Northavon on 30 March 2009 and apologise for the long delay, which was due to departmental reorganisation.
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State plans to reply to the email from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire of 19 February 2009 on Warm Front. [270835]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 24 April 2009]: I responded to the hon. Member's letter on 30 April 2009, with apologies for the delay.
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