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21 July 2009 : Column 1624W—continued
Wakefield NHS Trust: Waiting Lists
Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time was for (a) elective in- patient admission and (b) first out-patient appointment in each speciality at Wakefield NHS Trust in each year since 1996. [288656]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is contained in a table that has been placed in the Library.
Energy and Climate Change
Biofuels
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what assessment his Department has made of the effect of Ofgem's ruling of March 2009 on biodiesel, glycerol and the Renewables Obligation on the production of bio-fuels from used cooking oil; and if he will make a statement; [288039]
(2) what incentives his Department provides for the production of biofuels from used cooking oil; and if he will make a statement; [288040]
(3) what his Department's policy is on the use of recycled waste materials in the biofuel production process. [288041]
Mr. Kidney: Recycled waste biomass is an important source of renewable energy for transport fuel, and heat and electricity generation. The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) requires suppliers of fossil fuel to ensure that a proportion of the fuel they supply is renewable. Under the RTFO, biofuels made from waste materials such as used cooking oil are eligible fuels and certificates can be issued for their supply. The Renewable Fuels Agency, the administrator of the RTFO, has published data in their fourth quarterly report indicating that 37 million litres, or 3 per cent. of the biofuel used in the first year of the obligation, was made from used cooking oil. The Renewable Energy Directive requires that biofuels made from waste, including used cooking oil, receive double rewards under biofuel support schemes and it is intended that the RTFO will be amended accordingly following consultation. The Government also intend to provide financial support for the creation by industry of a biofuels demonstration plant in England, which would use organic waste material to produce bioethanol and renewable power.
Fuels produced from used cooking oil continue to be eligible for the Renewables Obligation if they meet the requirements of section 32M of the Electricity Act 1989. In practice, the ruling by Ofgem is not expected to alter the production of biofuels from used cooking oil to a great extent. We are currently considering whether the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive into national law has implications for the treatment of biodiesel under the Renewables Obligation.
British Gas
Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) with reference to paragraph 6 of the notes to editors of his Department's press release of 2 April 2008, whether each British Gas scheme involves (a) discounts on council tax bills and (b) cash back cheques; [288964]
(2) with reference to paragraph 6 of the notes to editors of his Department's press release of 2 April 2008, what funding his Department has provided to assist the 75 local schemes; and whether participating local authorities are required to subsidise the schemes; [288975]
(3) with reference to paragraph 6 of the notes to editors in his Department's press release of 2 April 2008, what estimate has been made of (a) the cost to the public purse of the energy saving measures offered by British Gas including the council tax discount and (b) the prices charged by companies other than British Gas for the same measures. [289018]
Mr. Kidney: The scheme referred to is a private scheme run by British Gas to help it meet its household carbon saving obligation set by Government under the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT). CERT is an obligation on all suppliers with more than 50,000 domestic customers. Suppliers meet their targets by promoting and encouraging consumers to take up energy efficiency measures such as loft insulation and cavity wall insulation and thereby save energy and money. Suppliers are responsible for meeting the costs of CERT, which are expected to be some £3.2 billion over the course of the three-year scheme to March 2011. Suppliers use a number of innovative schemes and partnerships to meet their targets, including linking up with local authorities, registered social landlords and charities.
Buildings: Carbon Emissions
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the levels of carbon dioxide emissions resulting from (a) heating for buildings and (b) air conditioning in buildings per head of population (i) in each region and (ii) in England. [288811]
Joan Ruddock: Emissions resulting from heating and cooling buildings can be assessed at a UK-wide level, but they are not currently disaggregated into constituent counties or regions.
In June 2007, the Department of Trade and Industry estimated CO2 emissions from all heat use in the domestic and services sectors of the UK to be 27 per cent. of total UK CO2 emissions, equivalent to 150 Mt CO2, or around 2.5 tonnes CO2 per capita.
Building Research Establishment (BRE) estimates the current annual CO2 emissions from cooling non-domestic buildings in the UK to be approximately 3 Mt CO2, equivalent to around one twentieth of a tonne of CO2 per capita annually. Residential sector cooling is not thought to make a significant contribution to UK CO2 emissions at present.
Carbon Emissions
Mr. Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what (a) short-term and (b) long-term plans the Government have to contribute towards meeting the goal of reducing global greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 per cent. by 2050; and what steps the Government plan to take in co-operation with other developed nations to reduce levels of such emissions. [288072]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 20 July 2009]: The Government's framework for managing and responding to climate change is set by the 2008 Climate Change Act. The Act sets a target for the UK to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions to at least 80 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2050, and the Government are required to set and meet five-year carbon budgets to define the pathway to this target.
The 2050 target was adopted in October 2008, following advice from the Committee on Climate Change. The Committee advised that this was an appropriate UK contribution to a global deal aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to between 20 billion tonnes and 24 billion tonnes by 2050 (between 50 and 60 per cent. below current levels).
The Act was also amended earlier this year to require us to set the third carbon budget, covering the period 2018-22, at a level that is equivalent to a reduction in emissions of at least 34 per cent. below 1990 levels, as an important interim target towards 2050. The first three carbon budgets were approved by Parliament in May. On 15 July, we published the 'UK Low Carbon Transition Plan', which sets out how we will meet those carbon budgets through investment in energy efficiency and clean energy technologies such as renewables, nuclear, and carbon capture and storage. It also committed us to producing a longer term roadmap for the transition to a low carbon UK for the period 2020 to 2050 by next spring.
Internationally, the UK is working with other developed countries to agree at the United Nations framework convention on climate change meeting in Copenhagen in December 2009 a comprehensive, global and long-term framework for addressing climate change that puts us on the right pathway for reducing global greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50 per cent. by 2050. The Government's proposals are set out in 'The Road to Copenhagen' (Cm 7659), copies of which are in the Library of the House.
Following a new and ambitious international agreement, the Government will tighten the level of the UK carbon budgets, taking into account the outcome of the EU's effort sharing negotiations and further advice from the Committee on Climate Change.
Carbon Trust: Energy Saving Trust
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark) of 25 March 2009, Official Report, column 497W, on the Carbon Trust and Energy Saving Trust, (1) how much had been spent by the Carbon Trust on payments to (a) Weber Shandwick, (b) TLG Communications Ltd and (c) Grayling Political Strategy on the latest date for which figures are available; [288943]
(2) how much had been spent by the Energy Saving Trust on payments to (a) Postif Politics, (b) Stratagem, (c) Weber Shandwick Public Affairs and (d) Geromino Commuications on the latest date for which figures are available. [288944]
Joan Ruddock: The Carbon Trust and Energy Saving Trust are both private companies limited by guarantee, therefore details of payments made are a matter for the Trusts' Boards.
Coal Investment Aid
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department plans to introduce a new scheme to replace the Coal Investment Aid Scheme. [285086]
Council Regulation (EC) No. 1407/2002 on State Aid to the hard coal industry under which Coal Investment Aid was offered does not provide for the introduction of a replacement scheme.
The European Commission is currently consulting on how to replace the Regulation when it expires on 31 December 2010. The consultation closed on 15 July 2009.
Departmental Billing
John Mason: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what percentage of invoices from suppliers his Department paid within 10 days of receipt in June 2009. [288928]
Departmental Campaigns
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what public campaigns have been undertaken by his Department since its establishment; and what the (a) resource, (b) capital expenditure and (c) staffing costs of each were of each such campaign. [288762]
Joan Ruddock: Since September 2008 to June 2009, DECC has spent approximately £4.8 million exclusive of VAT on the Act On CO2 marketing campaign.
DECC has not incurred any capital expenditure costs or additional staffing costs on the campaign.
Departmental Contracts
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many contracts let by his Department were awarded to businesses with fewer than 50 employees in each of the last five years; and what the monetary value of such contracts was in each such year. [287799]
Joan Ruddock: It is not possible to answer this question without incurring disproportionate costs.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what discussions he has had with his special adviser on feed-in tariffs as part of his Department's new Climate Change Strategy; [288065]
(2) how many meetings in his Department his special adviser on feed-in tariffs has attended since appointment. [288064]
Mr. Kidney: DECC Ministers have frequent meetings with parliamentary colleagues. My hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, South (Alan Simpson) has not held meetings with officials. My hon. Friend is not employed as a special adviser but has had discussions with my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien) on the subject of feed-in tariffs since the passage of the Energy Act.
Departmental Procurement
Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress his Department has made in implementing the recommendations of the Glover Report in its procurement processes. [287137]
Joan Ruddock: Our procurement service provider (Department of Business, Information and Skills-BIS) is considering how best to utilise the www.supply2.gov.uk portal for advertising tenders until the opportunities portal is available at the end of 2010 (Glover Report Recommendation 1) and how to identify small and medium-sized enterprise expenditure data (Recommendation 12) in an efficient manner.
The Department is currently preparing an Innovation Procurement Plan (Recommendation 8).
Along with BIS, the Department is waiting for the Office of Government Commerce guidance on the implementation of the remaining recommendations.
Departmental Public Relations
Mr. Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Greg Clark) of 20 April 2009, Official Report, column 305W, on departmental public relations, what the monetary value is of the contract with Kreab Gavin Anderson to provide public relations advice to his Department. [288681]
Joan Ruddock: The Kreab Gavin Anderson contract is for up to £320,000 for the period 9 May 2008 to 31 March 2010 inclusive. Kreab Gavin Anderson are contracted to provide expert advice and support on the renewable energy finance community including on the impact of proposed measures on renewable finance and investment prospects. As part of this contract they also support the Department's work by arranging seminars, meetings with investors, and wider awareness raising with investors and media on developments in renewable energy policy.
Departmental Secondment
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many employees of his Department have been posted to work in offices of hon. Members of each political party since its inception. [284973]
Joan Ruddock: Civil servants are required to act in accordance with the requirements of the Civil Service Code.
Civil servants may shadow MPs as part of a programme run by the Industry and Parliament Trust. Information on numbers of civil servants from this Department that have had such an attachment is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Work Experience
Mr. Willis: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many interns work in his Department; what terms of reference apply to their appointment; what remuneration they receive; and how long on average an intern appointment lasts. [286823]
Joan Ruddock: DECC currently has one intern. DECC's terms of reference for interns are still being developed, and are based on giving an individual a personal development opportunity and introducing them to the civil service, while completing a meaningful piece of work.
Remuneration for this contract is based on £29,191 (pro rata) which is in line with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs HEO starting salary.
This contract is for three months.
E.ON: Corporate Hospitality
David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many of his Department's employees accepted corporate hospitality from E.ON in (a) 2007 and (b) 2008; how many have done so in 2009 to date; and what hospitality was received in each case. [271825]
Mr. Kidney: Since 2007 DECC's employees have received corporate hospitality from EON on the following occasions:
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