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13 July 2009 : Column 35W—continued
Energy: Conservation
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) loft insulations, (b) cavity wall insulations, (c) solid wall insulations and (d) other energy saving insulation measures have been funded directly by the Energy Saving Trust in each of the last five years. [285082]
Joan Ruddock: It has not been the Energy Saving Trust's role to fund such measures directly and the Trust has therefore not directly funded any insulation measures in the last five years.
The Trust has concentrated on raising consumers' awareness of the effectiveness of such measures and then converting that awareness into action, by sign-posting and guiding consumers to appropriate grant and offer schemes via the Government funded Act on CO2 helpline.
Energy: Prices
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he plans to require energy companies to equalise their prepayment tariffs with those charged to quarterly customers; and if he will make a statement. [281173]
Joan Ruddock: The Government believe that differences in charges relating to the method of payment should reflect the costs of servicing that method, and should not discriminate unfairly against any group of customers. Therefore, we strongly support the regulator Ofgem's work putting in place rules to prevent unfair price discrimination related to payment method, such as PPMs.
We are keenly aware of the impact of energy costs on all groups of consumers. We do not consider that energy suppliers should be obliged to compel standard credit customers to share the higher costs of servicing pre-payment meters, which would be the consequence of equalisation.
Fuel Poverty
Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of households in (a) Ashford, (b) Kent and (c) the UK which were in fuel poverty in the last year for which figures are available. [283004]
Mr. Kidney: The most recently available sub-regional split of fuel poverty relates to 2003, and shows that there were around 2,500 fuel poor households in the Ashford constituency and around 39,200 fuel poor households in Kent.
More recent figures are available for the UK. These show that in 2006, there were around 3.5 million fuel poor households in the United Kingdom.
Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the amount of UK greenhouse gas emission reductions against a 1990 baseline attributable to (a) the transition of electricity generation from coal to gas, (b) the sourcing of services and goods as between domestic and overseas production, (c) the use of carbon credits sourced outwith the UK, (d) the direct result of Government climate change policies and (e) other identified causes. [282817]
Joan Ruddock: Our present estimate is that, in round terms, of the emissions reductions in 2006 below the increase that would otherwise have occurred since 1990, structural changes in the economy linked to changing patterns of imports and exports were responsible for about 30 per cent. Improvements in energy efficiency accounted for about 20 per cent., lower carbon fuels about 25 per cent. (made up of 15 per cent. from the so-called dash for gas and about 10 per cent. from renewables and other lower carbon fuels). Lower emissions of greenhouse gases other than CO2 were responsible for some 25 per cent. The direct effect of Government policies overlaps with the estimates given above and is likely to have accounted for about 15 per cent. The effect of emissions trading in 2006 is not included in these estimates but if included would in 2006 have increased the emissions reduction by about 10 per cent.
Low Carbon Buildings Programme
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many grants have been awarded through the Low Carbon Buildings programme in respect of (a) schools, (b) hospitals and (c) other public buildings in (i) the East of England and (ii) Castle Point constituency in each year since the programme's inception. [282142]
Mr. Kidney:
The following number of grants have been offered through the Low Carbon Buildings programme in respect of (a) schools, (b) hospitals and (c) other
public buildings in (i) the East of England and (ii) Castle Point constituency in each year since the programme's inception.
| Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 1 | ||||||||
| Grants offered | ||||||||
| Month grant offer letter sent | ||||||||
| Type of organisation | Data | November 2006 | January 2007 | February 2007 | March 2007 | October 2007 | January 2008 | Total |
No applications received for Castle Point, therefore no grants offered.
| Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase 2 | ||||||||
| East of England | ||||||||
| Schools | Hospitals | Other public buildings | Total | |||||
| Grant value (£) | Number of projects | Grant value (£) | Number of projects | Grant value (£) | Number of projects | Grant value (£) | Number of projects | |
No grants were paid for Castlepoint.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects to reply to the letter from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 12 February 2009, on energy companies. [277103]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 1 June 2009]: I apologise to the hon. Member for the delay in responding. A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 8 July 2009.
Sizewell A Power Station
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what review of (a) inspection, (b) maintenance and (c) security procedures at UK nuclear installations there has been following the discovery of a coolant leak at Sizewell A on 7 June 2007. [280807]
Joan Ruddock: I assume that the hon. Member is referring to the coolant leak at Sizewell A on 7 January 2007 as we are not aware of a coolant leak there on 7 June 2007.
The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigated the event and took appropriate enforcement action to ensure compliance with stringent safety standards. The enforcement action required the licensee to carry out a review of safety to identify and implement safety improvements arising from the event. This was done and NII is content that appropriate safety measures are now in place.
As a result of the event at Sizewell A, licensees with comparable plant have carried out a review of their arrangements. Where the reviews identified areas for improvement the licensees have implemented modifications to address these.
The Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS) is the security regulator for the UK's civil nuclear industry. It is responsible for approving security arrangements within the industry and enforcing compliance; specifying the standards that have to be met. Security at licensed civil nuclear sites is kept under regular review.
Northern Ireland
Abortion
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received from (a) individuals and (b) organisations in Northern Ireland asking in favour of a review of the legislation on abortion as it affects Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [286452]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office has received a number of representations from interested parties on all sides of the debate on the abortion law in Northern Ireland. The Government's position remains that the best forum for discussion of these matters is the Northern Ireland Assembly when it assumes responsibility for the criminal law. While the precise timing of the devolution of policing and justice is a matter for the Assembly, an agreed process is underway that will lead to the transfer of policing and justice powers, including responsibility for the criminal law relating to abortion.
Mr. Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last had discussions with representatives of the political parties in Northern Ireland on the abortion law in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [286453]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office has had no recent discussions with representatives from the political parties in Northern Ireland on this issue. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote to the leaders of the four main parties in May 2008, confirming that Government had no plans to change the law relating to abortion, and restating the Government's view that the best forum for the discussion of these matters is the Northern Ireland Assembly when it assumes responsibility for the criminal law.
Billy Wright Inquiry
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Billy Wright inquiry has cost to date. [285186]
Paul Goggins: The cost of the Billy Wright inquiry to the end of May 2009 is £25.7 million.
Departmental Buildings
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much in (a) rent, (b) service charges and (c) business rates has been paid in respect of each of the premises occupied by his Department in each year since 2005. [284863]
Paul Goggins: The following table shows how much the Northern Ireland Office, including the Public Prosecution Service Northern Ireland, and excluding its agencies and NDPBs has spent in rent, service charges and business rates in each financial year since 2005.
| £ | ||||
| Expenditure area | 2005-06 | 2006-07 | 2007-08 | 2008-09 |
Departmental Internet
Mr. Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when his Department plans to update its web browsers from Internet Explorer 6. [285030]
Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Office uses Internet Explorer 7. However, in a number of areas some large corporate applications are at this stage still only supported for delivery using Internet Explorer 6, so there are no plans for a complete update before 2010.
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