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26 Jun 2009 : Column 1201W—continued


Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average sum agreed in settlement was for (a) vibration white finger and (b) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease claims submitted by the 10 solicitors firms with the greatest number of claims for each condition under the Coal Miners Compensation Scheme. [282810]

Mr. Kidney: The average settlement for Vibration White Finger (VWF) and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) by the 10 claimants’ representatives who have submitted the greatest number of claims is shown in the following tables as at 21 June 2009.

COPD
Solicitor Total claims Total claims settled by payment Average damages paid on claims settled by payment (£)

Beresfords Solicitors

80,817

62,425

2,559

Thompsons Solicitors

58,133

45,600

9,202

Hugh James

56,811

42,214

7,261

Raleys Solicitors

48,914

35,591

5,990

Browell Smith and Co

32,998

24,962

6,538

Avalon Solicitors

32,413

19,354

2,375

Mark Gilbert Morse

25,721

20,641

7,535

Union of Democratic Mineworkers

16,586

13,794

3,097

Barber and Co

14,090

11,494

2,832

Watson Burton LLP

14,072

12,482

4,346


VWF
Solicitor Total claims Total claims settled by payment Average damages paid on claims settled by payment (£)

Thompsons Solicitors

21,231

16,997

16,379

Browell Smith and Co

16,462

11,957

10,854

Beresfords Solicitors

11,619

7,251

10,399

Union of Democratic Mineworkers

11,520

9,946

10,607

Raleys Solicitors

11,279

9,968

12,405

Hugh James

10,637

8,552

11,319

Graysons Solicitors

8,700

7,201

15,537

Moss Solicitors

7,398

5,031

10,514

Watson Burton LLP

5,935

5,066

17,106

Towells Solicitors

5,368

4,219

12,468


Renewable Energy: Waste

Lembit Öpik: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has made an assessment of the competitiveness of the British renewable energy sector specialising in the combustion of end-of-waste products manufactured from used cooking oil; and if he will make a statement. [281827]


26 Jun 2009 : Column 1202W

Mr. Kidney: We have not made a specific assessment of the competitiveness of renewable energy from used cooking oil. However, we have taken steps to increase the overall competitiveness of renewable technologies in Britain. The Renewables Obligation supports electricity generation from renewable sources. Used cooking oil can receive up to the maximum level of support of two ROCs per MWh.

Wind Power: East of England

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding his Department have allocated for the encouragement of wind power usage in (a) Mid-Bedfordshire constituency and (b) the East of England since it was established; and if he will make a statement. [278861]

Mr. Kidney: Electricity generated by wind power is eligible for support through the renewables obligation (RO), which was introduced in 2002. As of 1 April 2009, onshore wind is eligible for one renewables obligation certificate (ROC) per MWh of electricity generated, and offshore wind is eligible for 1.5 ROCs/MWh. Whilst we do not maintain data on the number of ROCs claimed per constituency or region, a full register of the number of ROCs claimed by each accredited station can be viewed online at:

The RO is the successor scheme to the non fossil fuels obligation (NFFO) which supports some onshore wind sites in Eastern England. Levels of support and detail of eligible NFFO sites can be found at

Round 1 offshore wind demonstration projects were eligible for grants under the Offshore Wind Capital Grants Scheme, and offshore farms in the East of England region have been awarded funding through this as follows:

Spend by financial year
£ million
Project

Scroby Sands Inner Dowsing Lynn Offshore

2004-05

7.5

0.00

0.00

2005-06

2.3

0.00

0.00

2006-07

0.10

6.50

6.50

2007-08

0.10

0.00

0.00

2008-09

0.00

3.20

3.20

2009-10

0.00

0.10

0.10

2010-11

0.00

0.10

0.10

2011-12

0.00

0.10

0.10


Under the Clear Skies Scheme, which ran from 2003 to 2007, £71,900 was spent on micro wind installations for householders in the East of England region. We do not have the figure for spend on community-scale installations on a regional basis under this scheme.

The amount of funding that has been allocated under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme for the encouragement of wind power usage in (a) Mid-Bedfordshire constituency and (b) the East of England region in each year since its introduction in 2006 is as follows:


26 Jun 2009 : Column 1203W
Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1—wind power allocation( 1)
£

Grant amount Paid amount

Householders

2006-07

East of England

155,477.18

36,615.14

Mid Bedfordshire

0.00

0.00

2007-08

East of England

15,069.40

133,532.02

Mid Bedfordshire

0.00

0.00

2008-09

East of England

40,000.00

20,000.00

Mid Bedfordshire

0.00

0.00

2009-10

East of England

5,568.50

10,000.00

Mid Bedfordshire

0.00

0.00

Communities

2006-07

East of England

67,708.93

0.00

Mid Bedfordshire

0.00

0.00

2007-08

East of England

0.00

21,179.45

Mid Bedfordshire

0.00

0.00

2008-09

East of England

0.00

26,472.69

Mid Bedfordshire

0.00

0.00

2009-10

East of England

0.00

15,707.94

Mid Bedfordshire

0.00

0.00

Stream 2a

2007-08

East of England

104,829.65

0.00

Mid Bedfordshire

0.00

0.00

2008-09

East of England

0.00

10,297.65

Mid Bedfordshire

0.00

0.00

Stream 2b

2007-08

East of England

133,456.50

0.00

Mid Bedfordshire

0.00

0.00

(1) Shows only committed grants—ie does not included expired, withdrawn or rejected applications.

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