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12 Nov 2009 : Column 655W—continued
Energy and Climate Change
Aberdeen
Mr. Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he last visited Aberdeen on official business. [299537]
Joan Ruddock: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is scheduled to visit Aberdeen later this month.
Annual Report on the State of Security in the Civil Nuclear Industry
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the five incidents were that were made under section 10 of the Nuclear Industry Security Regulations 2003 and which warranted further investigation, as referred to in paragraph 12, pages 3 to 4, of the Annual Report on the State of Security in the Civil Nuclear Industry April 2008-March 2009. [298665]
Mr. Kidney: This information is not releasable for national security reasons.
The criteria for determining whether information is releasable is described in the "Finding a Balance" document published on the Health and Safety Executive website. The objective of this document is to prevent the disclosure of sensitive nuclear information that could assist a person or group planning theft, blackmail, sabotage and other malevolent or illegal acts. It identifies categories of information which should not be disclosed, provides reasons for protecting this information and indicates the appropriate protective marking to be afforded to such information.
Carbon Emissions: Housing
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has taken steps to help park home residents reduce their emissions and heating bills. [298362]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 9 November 2009]: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Carbon Incentive Scheme
Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to implement a personal carbon incentive scheme; when the scheme will be introduced; and how it will operate. [299068]
Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Christmas
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on Christmas (a) cards, (b) parties and (c) decorations in the last 12 months. [299270]
Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Climate Change: Conferences
Clive Efford:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the contribution from the Minister of State of 5 November 2009, Official Report, columns 1090-91, on climate change, for what reasons he is seeking an agreement on a
reduction of the use of hydroflurocarbons (HFCs) at the Copenhagen climate change summit rather than a ban on HFCs; and if he will make a statement. [299239]
Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member before prorogation.
Climate Change: International Cooperation
Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the Government's position on proposals to be made at the Copenhagen climate change summit on protection of biological diversity of the rainforests, with particular reference to measures to prevent the conversion of natural forests to forest palm oil plantations. [297242]
Joan Ruddock: My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for DECC and DEFRA meet regularly to discuss strategy for Copenhagen UNFCCC summit, including on forestry. Forest mitigation and biodiversity should go hand in hand. Our objective is a climate agreement in Copenhagen whose provisions support a big reduction in greenhouse gas emissions from forest degradation and deforestation, whilst protecting and conserving forest biodiversity, promoting the sustainable production and use of forest resources. As part of these talks, safeguards against the conversion of natural forests to plantations are being discussed and we are seeking the strongest possible outcome on this.
Coal
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the future for clean coal in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [298357]
Mr. Kidney: The UK Low Carbon Transition Plan, published on 15 July 2009, identified coal-fired power stations fitted with Carbon Capture and Storage as an important low carbon electricity source for the future.
My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change announced on 23 April 2009 plans to accelerate the demonstration and deployment of carbon capture and storage on coal fired power stations in the UK. The Government set out their proposals in the consultation "A framework for the Development of Clean Coal", which closed on 9 September. The response to the consultation was announced to the House and published on 9 November. It is available on the DECC website at:
Coal: Imports
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the quantity of carbon dioxide emissions arising from the import of coal to the UK in the latest period for which figures are available. [297697]
Joan Ruddock: This information is not available.
Coal: North East
Mr. Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of tonnes of coal reserves in (a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) the North East and (d) the UK. [298355]
Mr. Kidney: The Coal Authority estimates that the UK has 3,405 million tonnes (Mt) of coal resources.
Of this 260 Mt is economically recoverable coal in the 'reserves category' (i.e. proved and probably mineable coal) at current deep mines and sites subject to conditional deep mine licences.
A further 70 Mt are at existing surface mines, those with planning approval granted and those currently in the planning process.
Estimates suggest there to be 260 Mt of previously proven reserves remaining in closed deep mines still in licence. A further 2,030 Mt of potential deep mine prospects and 785 Mt at potential surface mine prospects, including those in pre-planning and resources within former conditional licences.
The Coal Authority has confirmed that the following reserves are available in the north-east:
Potland Burn 2.03 Mt (Northumberland)
Shotton 2.69 Mt (Northumberland)
Steadsburn 0.80 Mt (Northumberland)
Park Wall North 1.27 Mt (Durham)
Total 6.79 Mt
Ayle Colliery 0.07 Mt (Northumberland)-still open
Ellington 1.92 Mt (Northumberland)-closed
Total 2.01 Mt
Sites approved or in planning:
Approved
Prestwick Pit Remainder 0.03 Mt (Northumberland)
Planning
Bradley 0.56 Mt (Durham)
Brenkley Lane 2.40 Mt (Newcastle)
Butterwell 1.10 Mt (Northumberland)
Halton Lea 0.14 Mt (Northumberland)
Total 4.2 Mt
Note: There may be other reserves with surface mining potential which have not been appraised to the planning application stage at present.
There are no underground reserves in this category.
Underground mine prospects identified by British Coal :
Amble 50 Mt (Northumberland)
East Durham 200 Mt (Durham)
Neither of these prospects were developed to the planning application stage by British Coal.
Departmental Advertising
Mr. Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on advertising for tenders for the administration of the two miners' compensation schemes. [299799]
Mr. Kidney: No money was spent advertising as the tender was publicised through the standard EU procurement process.
Departmental Air Travel
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many first-class flights were taken by each Minister in his Department in 2008-09; and what the (a) origin, (b) destination and (c) cost was of each such flight. [298754]
Joan Ruddock: Details of flights taken in 2008-09 by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change and other DECC Ministers is available on the Cabinet Office website at the following link:
All travel by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and his ministers is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Departmental Billing
Mr. Weir: 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 (a) September and (b) October 2009. [299538]
Joan Ruddock: The percentage of invoices from suppliers paid within 10 days of receipt was:
(a) 85.1 per cent. in September; and
(b) 92.7 per cent. in October 2009.
Departmental Conferences
Greg Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2009, Official Report, column 401W, on departmental conferences, what the cost to his Department was of the (a) regional delivery of biomass heat and power conference on 29 October 2008, (b) London meeting of international energy and oil Ministers on 18 and 19 December 2008, (c) hydrogen workshop on 29 January 2009, (d) stakeholder workshop on 30 January 2009, (e) business forum held in Ashgabat on 4 February 2009, (f) advanced power generation technology forum annual workshop on 11 and 12 February 2009 and (g) launch of the consultation on Heat and Energy Saving Strategy event on 12 February 2009; which (i) Ministers and (ii) senior officials participated in each event; what the names of the attendees at each of those events were; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the (A) agenda and (B) minutes of each event. [290276]
Joan Ruddock: The information is as follows:
(a) Cost £17,938. My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change and Simon Virley (DECC) were present.
(b) I refer to written answer 267996 of 20 April 2009, Official Report, column 305W.
(c) Cost £442. No Ministers or senior officials were present.
(d) This event was not organised by DECC.
(e) Costs £4,654. No Ministers were present from the UK. John Neve (DECC), and Peter Butcher the British ambassador attended.
(f) Details of this event are not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
(g) Cost £22,013. My right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for DECC and CLG, the Minister for Housing, my right hon. and noble Friend the Minister of State for Energy and Climate Change and I were present. Senior officials attending were Hergen Haye and Simon Virley.
Agendas and minutes, where they are held by my Department, will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Departmental Data Protection
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department's information assurance procedures have been subject to an independent audit. [299373]
Joan Ruddock: It has not proved possible to reply to the hon. Member before Prorogation.
Departmental Freedom of Information
Mrs. Laing: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff in his Department have been employed on the management of freedom of information requests submitted to his Department since its inception; and how much was spent on the management of such requests. [299140]
Joan Ruddock: Since its inception in October 2008, the Department has used a shared service with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) (now the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS)) to provide a range of information management-related services including the management and support of FOI case management. The total costs for the FOI element of the service only include staff employed for more than 50 per cent. of their time on FOI work and are broken down as follows:
| Staff | Costs (£) | |
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