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16 Sep 2009 : Column 2222W—continued
Nuclear Submarines
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2009, Official Report, column 1400W, to the hon. Member for Moray, on nuclear submarines, on what nuclear submarines the 21 medium scale fires were reported; what the location was of each such submarine at the time of the fire; and when each fire occurred. [290794]
Bill Rammell: Royal Navy submarines are operated to the highest possible safety standards. Personnel are rigorously trained to deal efficiently and effectively with all safety incidents.
Three fires requiring both ship and external resources are recorded as occurring on Royal Navy submarines since 1 January 1987. Details of these are provided in the following table:
| Vessel | Location where fire took place | Date of fire |
In the same time period, there were 20 medium scale fires and details of these are provided in the following table.
| Vessel | Location where fire took place, if known | Date of fire |
For those incidents where the vessel was either 'alongside' or 'at sea', the exact location of the vessel is not recorded centrally.
On behalf of the Secretary of State for Defence, I have written to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson) to correct the previous statement made on this subject-2 April 2009, Official Report, column 1400W.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reactor design has been selected by the Strategic Deterrent Programme Board for the successor submarine; what other decisions have been made by the Board in 2009; and what further decisions are scheduled to be made by the Board prior to May 2010. [291176]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 14 September 2009]: A decision on reactor design for the future deterrent has not yet been taken. Like other key decisions on the future deterrent, this decision will ultimately be taken by Ministers. The Defence Board will consider the work required during the Concept Phase later this year.
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the programme to build the successor to the Vanguard class submarine is on schedule; and when the initial gateway decision for the programme will be made. [291177]
Bill Rammell [holding answer 14 September 2009]: The In Service Date is planned for 2024, as set out in the 2006 White Paper. The Defence Board will consider the work required during the Concept Phase later this year.
Unmanned Air Vehicles
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what additional unmanned air systems his Department plans to purchase with funds from the Urgent Operational Requirement budget for 2009-10. [290786]
Mr. Quentin Davies [holding answer 9 September 2009]: We have no current plans to purchase further unmanned air systems under the Urgent Operational Requirement mechanism in the current financial year.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Trust: Stoke-on-Trent
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding the Carbon Trust has provided to (a) local authorities, (b) NHS organisations and (c) higher and further education institutions in Stoke-on-Trent North constituency since its establishment. [290817]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 9 September 2009]: The Carbon Trust has worked with a range of public sector organisations in Stoke-on-Trent including schools, local authorities and NHS organisations to provide carbon management and energy efficiency advice.
The Carbon Trust has advised me that it is not possible to provide a funding breakdown at a constituency level.
Energy: Housing
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what representations the Energy Saving Trust made for (a) an increase in council tax in respect of and (b) a prohibition upon the sale or rent of homes with an F to G energy efficiency rating. [291210]
Joan Ruddock: The Energy Saving Trust have made no representations for an increase in council tax in respect of, or a prohibition upon, the sale or rent of homes with an F to G energy efficiency rating.
From autumn, the Energy Saving Trust will be able to contact people moving into homes rated F and G on the Energy Performance Certificate to give free, impartial energy efficiency advice. EST's research shows home owners can move EPC grade by doing non-major energy saving improvements starting for less than £1,000. There are schemes such as council tax discounts already available to encourage householders to undertake energy efficiency
improvements to their homes, a number of which are motivated by energy suppliers in support of their Government obligated carbon emissions reduction target.
Fuel Oil: Prices
Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment has been made of the potential effects of a petrol embargo on Iran on the UK economy, with particular reference to oil prices. [291269]
Mr. Kidney: As part of DECC's responsibility for the security of energy supplies, we assess a range of supply disruption scenarios, including disruptions to Iranian petroleum exports. However, the content of this analysis is market sensitive and cannot therefore be made public.
Fuel Poverty: Pensioners
Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate his Department has made of the (a) number and (b) percentage of pensioners living in fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement. [291374]
Mr. Kidney: The Department's latest estimates for fuel poverty are for 2006, available online at:
These show that in 2006, there were around 2.4 million households in fuel poverty in England. Of those, around 1.3 million contained somebody over the age of 60, around 17 per cent. of all households containing somebody over 60.
Fuel poverty statistics are published at the household level and are not calculated at an individual person level. Figures on the number and percentage of individual pensioners in fuel poverty are therefore unavailable.
Nuclear Power
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the efficiency of high burn-up fuel used in nuclear power plants. [291346]
Mr. Kidney: The Department has not assessed the efficiency of different burn-up(1) levels for nuclear fuels.
The fuel and its burn-up efficiency is a matter for the commercial operators to address, whilst ensuring that regulatory requirements are met.
(1) Burn-up is measured by the amount of energy extracted for a given mass of uranium-units GWd/tU.
Warm Front Scheme
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criteria are used under the Warm Front scheme to determine whether households are in fuel poverty; and if he will make a statement. [291264]
Mr. Kidney: To be eligible for Warm Front the applicant or their spouse must be a homeowner or tenant in the private sector and in receipt of a qualifying disability or income related benefit.
These qualification criteria were selected because they were considered to provide an effective proxy for assessing the likelihood of an applicant being at risk of fuel poverty.
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Calor Gas: Canvey Island
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions his Department has had with Calor Gas on the designation and provision of a receiving tank as an overfill receiver for its Canvey Island liquefied natural gas terminals; and if he will make a statement. [290857]
Huw Irranca-Davies [holding answer 9 September 2009]: DEFRA has not had any discussions with Calor Gas on the designation and provision of a receiving tank as an overfill receiver for its Canvey Island LNG terminals.
The Environment Agency and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are the joint competent authorities for regulation of the Canvey Island Calor Gas site under the Control of Major Accident Hazards Regulations (COMAH). I understand the hon. Member has had a number of recent discussions with the HSE about the safe operation of this site.
Cattle: Animal Welfare
Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the percentage of dairy cows which are kept in zero-grazing conditions. [291386]
Huw Irranca-Davies: No official estimates are available, though previous industry estimates indicate about 5 per cent. of herds have some cattle that are housed all year round.
Departmental Public Expenditure
Tim Farron:
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the (a) Committee of Investigation for Great Britain, (b) Expert Group on Cryptosporidium in Water Supplies, (c) Family Food Committee, (d) Financial Management and Policy Review of the Commons Commissioners, (e) Hill Farming Advisory Committee, (f) National Expert Group on Transboundary Air Pollution, (g) National Rural Development Forum, (h) National Statistics Quality Review on Sustainable Farming and Food Regulation Task Force, (i) Review of Fishing Vessel Licensing, (j) Review of Funding Mechanisms for Food and Coastal Defence, (k) Review of Marine Nature Conservation Working Group Science Advisory Group, (l) Sustainable Consumption and Production Business
Taskforce, (m) Sustainable Development Taskforce, (n) Sustainable Farming and Food Implementation Group and (o) Sustainable Farming and Food Research Priorities Group in each of the last five years. [291099]
Huw Irranca-Davies
[holding answer 14 September 2009]: The following table sets out the costs of a
number of the bodies listed. Officials are currently preparing figures covering the remaining bodies and I will write to the hon. Member with this information when it is available.
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