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23 Jun 2009 : Column 750W—continued
Michael Jabez Foster: The provision of services to victims of domestic violence is a local issue; local decision makers are best placed to assess local needs. The majority of services are delivered through local providers who are supported and funded by local bodies, such as local councils and health organisations. As such, the Government do not collect information centrally on the number of services available for victims of domestic violence.
However, the Government do take the issue of domestic violence very seriously and since 1997 have taken significant steps to combat it. The Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004 was designed to be deliberately gender neutral and we expect all victims of domestic violence to be taken seriously by all services. The Government are funding a Men's Advice Line (0808 801 0327) which has been specifically set up to support male victims of domestic violence.
In addition, the Specialist Domestic Violence Court (SDVC) programme has continued to expand and the Government are committed to increasing the number of SDVCs to 128 by 2011. Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences are currently operational in over 200 areas, and will be rolled out nationally by 2011. Furthermore, in 2008-09 we provided over £6 million to support the roll-out of Independent Domestic Violence Advisers (IDVAs) and Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences (MARACs).
Olympic Games 2012
Mr. Don Foster: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many full-time equivalent members of staff of the Government Equalities Office are working on projects relating to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games; how many of them are working on (a) project management, (b) legacy planning, (c) project oversight and (d) financial oversight; and what plans she has for future staffing levels in each case. [279812]
Michael Jabez Foster: The Government Equalities Office does not have any staff working on projects relating to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Rape: Victim Support Schemes
Mrs. May: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality how many organisations have applied for funding to the Special Fund for rape crisis centres for 2009-10; and how much such funding has been applied for. [281439]
Michael Jabez Foster: The Special Fund for the sexual violence voluntary sector closed for applications on 5 June 2009 by which time 52 applications had been received. Of these, 51 are eligible for consideration for funding.
An initial assessment indicates that the total of these 51 applications is £2,322,468.49. Each application will be assessed against the published criteria for support from the fund and applicants informed in due course of the outcome.
Energy and Climate Change
Climate Change
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department has taken to adapt its activities to climate change in the last two years. [277647]
Joan Ruddock: All Government Departments are actively involved in the cross-Government Adapting to Climate Change Programme, which aims to help society adapt to climate change. The aim of the programme is to develop and provide a comprehensive evidence base, including adaptation tools, to raise awareness of the need to adapt, to measure success and to work across Government at all levels to embed adaptation. Further details about the programme's work can be found at:
As well as working together to tackle issues that affect all Departments and their work, each Government Department is adapting to climate change in its own operations and policies. Simultaneously, DECC is working to improve the sustainability of the Department and its operations, and to reduce its carbon emissions.
Coal Health Compensation Scheme
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many people are receiving assistance under the Coal Health Compensation Scheme. [267736]
Mr. Kidney: There are two coal health compensation schemes. The Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease scheme (COPD) and the Vibration White Finger scheme (VWF). The Department received over 760,000 claims in total of which 740,000 have been settled as at March 2009.
There were 592,000 claims registered under the COPD scheme. Of these, over 570,000 have been settled. For VWF, there were 170,000 claims registered, of which 169,000 claims have been settled.
The COPD scheme is due to be substantially completed on 30 November 2009 and the VWF scheme is substantially completed.
Departmental Surveys
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department plans to undertake a departmental staff survey. [280355]
Joan Ruddock: The Department will be conducting a staff survey during October 2009.
Fuel Poverty: Elderly
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what programmes his Department operates to provide assistance to the elderly in fuel poverty; when each was instituted; and how much has been spent under each such programme in each of the last 10 years. [278010]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 11 June 2009]: The Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) (1 April 2008-31 March 2011) is the third three-year cycle of the supplier obligation which began on 1 April 2002 (then known as the Energy Efficiency Commitment). This policy places a carbon saving obligation on the main household gas and electricity suppliers. Suppliers are obligated to achieve a percentage of their carbon saving target (this is at least 40 per cent. in CERT) in a priority group of low income and elderly households. The priority group includes all households with a person aged 70 and over. We do not have powers to oblige suppliers to report their expenditure. However, through independent studies commissioned for cost benefit purposes, we estimate that 60 per cent. of suppliers’ expenditure goes to the priority group. We estimate that over the nine years of the obligation, some £2.7 billion will be invested by suppliers in meeting their priority group obligations.
Warm Front is the Government’s main scheme for tackling fuel poverty and was instituted in 2000. The scheme has spent in excess of £2 billion on a range of energy efficiency measures including insulation and central heating. Since 2005, over half of the scheme’s total budget has been spent on assisting those over the age of 60. The table shows the breakdown of spending in each year for this phase of the scheme. Figures for the last scheme year (2008-09) are not yet available. It is worth noting that in the 2007-08 scheme year alone, over £37 million of the total was spent on helping those over the age of 81.
| Scheme year | Measures spend on clients 60+ (£) | Proportion of total measures spend on clients 60+ (percentage) |
The total spend in each year since the scheme was instituted is shown as follows:
| Total spend (£ million) | |
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the level of greenhouse gas emissions from the UK was in each year since 1997; and what the percentage change from 1997 was in each year. [264851]
Joan Ruddock: The latest 2007 estimates of greenhouse gas emissions were published on 3 February 2009. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is currently publishing the DECC climate change statistics and the 2007 Final UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions National Statistics can be found at the following web address:
The following table shows total greenhouse gas emissions 1997-2007 and also carbon dioxide emissions 1997-2007. Percentage changes in emissions for each year are also shown. These figures have been compiled from the DECC Final UK Greenhouse Gas Emissions National Statistics.
| Changes in all greenhouse gas emissions and carbon dioxide emissions 1997 to 2007 | ||||
| Million tonnes CO 2 equivalent | ||||
| Net CO 2 emissions (emissions minus removals ) | Percentage change from 1997 | Total greenhouse gas emissions (Kyoto basket) | Percentage change from 1997 | |
| Notes: 1. Figures for carbon dioxide include the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry sector (LULUCF), but exclude emissions from UK Overseas Territories. 2. The Kyoto basket total differs slightly from sum of individual pollutants above as the basket uses a narrower definition for the Land Use, Land-Use Change and Forestry sector (LULUCF), and includes emissions from UK Overseas Territories. 3. The entire time series is revised each year to take account of methodological improvements in the UK emissions inventory. 4. Emissions are presented as carbon dioxide equivalent in line with international reporting and carbon trading. To convert Carbon dioxide into carbon equivalents, divide figures by 44/12. 5. Figures shown do not include any adjustment for the effect of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EUETS), which was introduced in 2005. | ||||
Low Carbon Buildings Programme
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many certified installers of each type of technology under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme there were in each region of the UK in each month since the programme began; and if he will make a statement. [269645]
Mr. Kidney: Currently there are over 250 installer companies registered to carry out work under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme (LCBP). More installer companies are in the process of being assessed.
Data collected by Low Carbon Buildings Programme managers are now held by month, by technology and by region (see table). These data reflect where installer companies are willing to work and not where they are based.
A list of certified installers by company address, technology, the region they can operate in (but not by month) is available on the Low Carbon Buildings Programme website at:
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