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12 Oct 2009 : Column 491W—continued
Sustainable Development
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to implement the recommendations of the Sustainable Development Commission's report Prosperity without growth? The transition to a sustainable economy, which fall within its responsibility. [289794]
Joan Ruddock: The Sustainable Development Commission's report contains one recommendation on which DECC leads: "Imposing Clearly Defined Resource/emission Caps". The Climate Change Act commits the Government to reductions in emissions of at least 80 per cent. by 2050, and creates a system of five-year carbon budgets to ensure this target is delivered. The level of the first three carbon budgets (2008-22) was set through secondary legislation in May 2009. The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, published in July 2009, sets out how the first three carbon budgets will be delivered. Delivery of the carbon budgets is enabled by policies including trading schemes which set specific caps, in particular the European Emissions Trading System which covers about half of UK emissions, and the forthcoming Carbon Reduction Commitment.
Warm Front Scheme
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 2 April 2009, Official Report, column 1369W, on the Warm Front Scheme, what average sum was paid by Eaga to its suppliers for (a) energy efficiency light bulbs, (b) draught proofing and (c) hot water tank jackets in the latest period for which figures are available. [289723]
Mr. Kidney: The prices paid by Eaga to its suppliers are commercially confidential.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many households have received a product of financial value through the Warm Front scheme in each year since 2002. [289793]
Mr. Kidney: The number of households assisted through the Warm Front scheme in each year since 2002 is set out in the following table:
| Scheme year | Number of households assisted |
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the amount of Eaga's Warm Front hardship fund has been in each year since 2000. [289880]
Mr. Kidney: Since 2006 Eaga plc has provided financial assistance to some of those Warm Front clients who were unable to meet the cost of an excess contribution required for work to be done. The amounts spent by Eaga, in this respect, in each year since 2006 are provided in the following table:
| Fund (£000) | |
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects mid-contract renegotiations with Eaga on the Warm Front scheme to have been completed; and if he will make a statement. [289881]
Mr. Kidney: I refer the hon. Member to my letter of 21 July 2009 concerning the contract to manage the Warm Front Scheme between the Department and Eaga. I will arrange for a copy of this letter to be placed in the Library of the House.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2009, Official Report, column 333W, on the Warm Front scheme, what process was used to select Procuritas to review his Department's management of its contract with Eaga. [290030]
Mr. Kidney: The appointment of Procuritas was undertaken following a review by DEFRA policy, legal and procurement advisors of those organisations with the capacity, skills and resource able to complete the work to the required timescale.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2009, Official Report, column 333W, on the Warm Front scheme, what the monetary value is of the contract between his Department and Procuritas. [290031]
Mr. Kidney: This information is commercially confidential.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 24 March 2009, Official Report, column 333W, on the Warm Front scheme, if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract between his Department and Procuritas. [290032]
Mr. Kidney: This information is commercially confidential.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2009, Official Report, column 503W, on the Warm Front scheme, what the average cost of supplying energy-efficient light bulbs is to a customer who receives only that service under the Warm Front scheme. [290033]
Mr. Kidney: The cost of providing two compact fluorescent light bulbs under the Warm Front Scheme is currently £8.32 per household.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 25 March 2009, Official Report, column 503W, on the Warm Front scheme, which months were included in the calculation of the figures given for 2008-09. [290034]
Mr. Kidney: The figures given for 2008-09 covered the period 1 April 2008 to 31 January 2009.
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 410W, on the Warm Front scheme, at which point in the procurement process his Department ceases to be a party to the contract for the supply of heating materials used in Warm Front scheme installations. [290277]
Mr. Kidney: The responsibility for the procurement of heating materials used under the scheme lies with Eaga plc, the scheme administrator.
The Department was party to the contracts for the supply of heating materials until they were novated to Eaga plc. The dates at which the contracts with each contracted supplier were novated to Eaga were 1 April 2008 and 2 March 2009 for Wolseley and Graham Group respectively.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of individuals who undertook contractual inspection work under the Warm Front Scheme before the inception of the technical inspector qualification; and how many people have obtained that qualification. [291833]
Mr. Kidney: Prior to September 2009, 76 individuals had undertaken inspection work for Warm Front.
By 1 May 2010 all Warm Front inspectors will require a higher level of Gas Safe qualification. The process of assessing training requirements of current inspectors is still underway.
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will commission a review of Eaga's performance in carrying out its contractual obligations for the Warm Front scheme; and if he will make a statement. [291131]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 14 September 2009]: DECC has recently completed a review of the contract with the main contractor and Scheme administrator, Eaga plc. This has resulted in a revised set of contractual arrangements between DECC and Eaga which will result in increased value for money and improvements in the service Warm Front provides to its customers.
DECC performs monthly reviews of Eaga's performance against contractual service level indicators. In addition DECC commissions regular audits to ensure Warm Front is delivered in accordance with contractual requirements.
Warm Front Scheme: Inspections
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost to an individual to train for the qualification of technical inspector for the Warm Front scheme; and if he will make a statement. [291062]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 14 September 2009]: At present all Warm Front gas heating inspectors are required to have the Gas Safe CCN1 certification. However, from 1 May 2010, all inspectors will be required to have full Gas Safe registration. The employment of inspectors is undertaken by Eaga plc, in their role as main contractor and Scheme Administrator. DECC has made no estimate of the costs involved in training these inspectors.
Waste Management
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with local authorities on the implications for their energy-from-waste facilities of the UK Renewable Energy Strategy published on 15 July 2009. [291987]
Mr. Kidney: DECC officials meet regularly with local authorities and DEFRA officials to discuss a range of climate and energy issues, including energy-from-waste.
Local authorities have a key leadership role in successfully delivering the UK Renewable Energy Strategy and diverting increasing levels of waste from landfill into reuse, recycling and energy recovery.
Wave Power
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what funding his Department and its predecessors have provided for the development of marine energy technologies since 2003. [289650]
Mr. Kidney: The Department has previously provided support totalling £35 million for the industry-led development of marine energy technologies through the former DTI Technology Programme-now administered by the Technology Strategy Board-and support of £9 million for high quality basic science through the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council's 'Supergen Marine' consortium.
DECC has its own support scheme in place for the commercial demonstration of wave and tidal stream technologies-the £50 million Marine Renewables Deployment Fund (MRDF). We are now in the process of designing, in conjunction with the sector, a new £22 million Marine Renewables Proving Fund as announced in Low Carbon Transition Plan.
DECC has also supported the development of marine energy technology through investing in testing facilities such as the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC) and the New and Renewable Energy Centre (NaREC). The Government recently announced a package of measures in its Low Carbon Transition Plan that further investment would be made in upgrading and expanding the testing facilities at EMEC (£8 million) and NaREC (£10 million), together with an increase of its contribution towards the planned Wave Hub project off the coast of Cornwall to £9.5 million.
DECC is also contributing to a £534,000 fund to support the development of embryonic technologies for a possible Severn tidal power scheme.
Under the Renewables Obligation wave and tidal energy suppliers will receive two Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) for each MWh of eligible generation produced.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many operational marine power schemes are connected to the electricity grid; and what the (a) generating capacity and (b) quantity of electricity generated by each in 2008 was. [289653]
Mr. Kidney: The information requested is as follows:
(a) There were three marine energy devices connected to the electricity grid in 2008.
Wavegen-500 kW
SeaGen-1.2 MW
Open Hydro-250 kW
(b) The following figures are taken from the Ofgem Renewables register.
Wavegen (now Voith Hydro Wavegen) "Limpet" device deployed on the Isle of Islay generated 42 MWh.
SeaGen-owned by Sea Generation Ltd/Marine Current Turbines and deployed in Strangford Lough, Northern Ireland generated 13 MWh.
Open Hydro, deployed at the European Marine Energy Centre, Orkney are not accredited for the Renewables Obligation and no data is available for 2008.
Wind Power
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 24 June, Official Report, columns 60-62WS, on the Offshore Energy Strategic Environmental Assessment, what estimate he has made of the number of offshore wind turbines that will be constructed in each year until 2020. [289615]
Mr. Kidney: The actual number and rate of offshore turbines deployed each year will depend on choices made by the market relating to the timing and location specifics of construction for individual projects, as well as the size and type of turbines chosen.
On the basis of the Government's plan for some 25GW by 2020 referred to in the ministerial statement of 24 June, we might expect to see between 5,000-7,000 turbines constructed over the period to 2020. Along with existing plans for some 8GW of offshore wind generation already at various stages of planning, the total number of turbines deployed offshore could be around 10,000 turbines by 2020. Advances in technology may mean that in future there could be fewer, but larger, turbines deployed.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions his Department has had with industry representatives on the temporary increase of support for offshore wind through the Renewables Obligation. [289724]
Mr. Kidney: DECC officials and Ministers have regular discussions and meetings with the offshore wind industry, both individually and collectively, concerning the deployment of offshore wind. These can cover generic issues or can be in relation to specific projects' particular concerns around for example planning, and grid access. Recent meetings with industry representatives have involved discussions about whether there is a need for an increase in support for offshore wind through the Renewables Obligation.
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the evidential basis is for the proposed criteria for selecting offshore wind projects to receive temporary increases in support under the Renewables Obligation. [289725]
Mr. Kidney: The evidential basis for launching a review of the level of support for offshore wind under the Renewables Obligation is the report "Cost of and financial support for offshore wind", produced for DECC by Ernst and Young, and available at
The proposed criteria for determining eligibility for any increase in support are subject to consultation, and we have welcomed views and further evidence as part of the consultation process which closes on 15 October.
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