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24 Nov 2009 : Column 80W—continued
Departmental Rail Travel
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change on what date he last travelled by train in the course of his official duties. [301197]
Joan Ruddock: 23 November 2009.
Energy: Mobile Homes
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 (a) carbon dioxide emissions and (b) heating bills. [301082]
Joan Ruddock: It is difficult to reduce the carbon emissions and heating bills of park homes due to the lack of scope for key energy efficiency measures, such as cavity wall and loft insulation. Where scope does exist, such as through draught-proofing and high-efficiency lights and appliances, assistance is available to park homes residents through schemes such as the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target and Warm Front.
Warm Front is currently working in partnership with a gas distributor and a local residents association to enable 61 residents of Elm Tree caravan park in Hartlepool to be connected to the mains gas network. This project meant these homes, previously utilising liquid petroleum gas, coal or forms of electric heating, reduced their likely energy bills and likely carbon consumption. The project considerably reduced the otherwise prohibitive cost that had prevented each park home individually connecting to the gas network.
The Warm Front Scheme has also begun a piloting exercise of external wall insulation for 100 park home properties. If this trial is successful, then this may be included as a main measure offered through the scheme.
Free expert advice on practical ways to save energy in the home is also available through the ACT ON CO2 advice line.
Housing: Insulation
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of homes which would benefit from insulation. [300588]
Joan Ruddock: Almost all homes can benefit from further insulation, whether this is through taking relatively simple actions such as topping up levels of loft insulation and filling un-insulated cavity wall, or though more difficult or expensive steps such as insulating floors, installing high efficiency glazing or fitting solid wall insulation.
We have made good progress insulating lofts and cavity walls with five million homes insulated between 2002 and 2008 and a commitment to insulate a further six million homes by 2011. The Heat and Energy Saving Strategy (HESS) consultation published in February sets out our ambitions to insulate all of the remaining lofts and cavities where practical by 2015. The HESS also explains the approaches we are considering to make it easier for households to take on more difficult or expensive forms of insulation and thus gain the benefits of reduced energy bills and a warmer home.
Mr. Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of domestic dwellings to have been insulated in each year since 1997. [300589]
Joan Ruddock: For the period between 1997 and 2001 on average around 250,000 homes were insulated per year (loft and cavity wall insulation).
From 2002, with the introduction of the Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC) figures rose. For the first period-EEC1 which ran from April 2002 to March 2005 around 1.9 million homes were insulated (roof, cavity and solid wall insulation). For EEC2, which run until April 2008, around 3.3 million homes were insulated.
In 2008 my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made the commitment to insulate a further six million homes by 2011 and the Government are on track to deliver this target. In April 2008, the Carbon Emission Reduction Target (CERT) replaced EEC with a new more ambitious target. In the year following April 2008 around 1.5 million homes were insulated by CERT and other programmes. In addition, as set out in the Low
Carbon Transition Plan, the Government have committed to extend CERT to the end of 2012 with an even stronger focus on delivering insulation.
Renewable Energy
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the amount of black carbon which would be emitted consequent upon achieving biomass targets as set out in his Department's renewable energy strategy. [300406]
Joan Ruddock [holding answer 23 November 2009]: Specific estimates of black carbon emission have not been made in support of the development of the Renewable Energy Strategy.
The emissions of black carbon for each unit of heat delivered are likely to decrease in future as a result of measures announced in the Government's Renewable Energy Strategy. Efficient modern biomass appliances have advanced combustion control systems. When maintained adequately and fuelled correctly, the particles emitted under normal operating conditions are primarily composed of the inorganic salts naturally present in the wood, not carbonaceous material.
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been spent on the renewable energy sector in each of the last five years; what the purpose is of the £18 million additional funding for the UK clean energy sector available via the Carbon Trust; and how many green start-up renewable energy companies (a) have had and (b) will receive such funding from the Carbon Trust. [300499]
Joan Ruddock: According to recent research published by the Carbon Trust building on research by New Energy Finance, total UK venture capital clean energy(1) investment (including renewables) between 2003 and 2008 was:
(1) We do not hold independent data for overall renewable technology investment separate from clean energy.
| € million | |
The purpose of the up to £18 million additional venture capital investment available via the Carbon Trust is to meet the current market failure in the provision of private sector venture capital investment for early stage low carbon companies.
Since the Carbon Trust was set up, it has provided funding to 17 green start-up energy companies investing over £13.5m. This funding has also helped these businesses to leverage over £117 million of private sector investment.
No investments have yet been made from the £18 million additional funding but four companies are in due diligence and a further 10 are under active consideration.
Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress the Government have made on meeting the targets stipulated in the Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 during (a) 2008 and (b) 2009; and if he will make a statement. [300809]
Mr. Kidney: The Warm Homes and Energy Conservation Act 2000 required the publication of a strategy to include
"a target date for achieving the objective of ensuring that as far as reasonably practicable persons in England or Wales do not live in fuel poverty."
Annual reports on progress are published and copies are placed in the House Library. Web links to the 2008 and 2009 Annual Progress reports are at:
Justice
Climate Change
Simon Hughes:
To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants
from his Department will be attending the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity. [300890]
Mr. Wills: There are no Ministers or civil servants from the Ministry of Justice who will be attending the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen in an official capacity.
Drugs: Crime
John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many people have been found guilty of offences of drug (a) possession and (b) dealing in Avon and Somerset in each year since 1997. [300748]
Claire Ward: Information showing the number of persons found guilty at all courts for drug possession and dealing in the Avon and Somerset police force area from 1997 to 2007 (latest available) is shown in the following table.
Data for 2008 are planned for publication on 28 January 2010.
European Convention on Human Rights
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether there has been a proportionate alleviation or suspension of a specific right provided for in the European Convention on Human Rights since the Convention was ratified by the Government. [300383]
Mr. Wills: The majority of the rights protected by the European Convention on Human Rights are not absolute. Most rights are qualified, which means that interference with a right is permitted where that is in accordance with the law, proportionate to a certain specified aim, and/or necessary to protect the rights and freedoms of others. For example, it is sometimes necessary to balance the right of the media to freedom of expression with the right of individuals to respect for their private life. Many areas of Government policy involve making these difficult decisions on a daily basis and it is not possible to list them exhaustively. It is also possible for states party to make reservations to some rights or to derogate from some articles of the convention in times of emergency. However, the UK currently has no derogations to the convention.
Offenders: Drugs and Mentally Ill
Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice (1) what recent estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) offences and (ii) reoffences which are committed each year by those with substance misuse problems; [300804]
(2) what recent estimate he has made of the (a) number and (b) proportion of (i) offences and (ii) reoffences which are committed each year by those with mental health problems. [300796]
Claire Ward: The requested information is not available. The Ministry of Justice's extract of data from the police national computer can provide information on the previous convictions and reoffences of offenders. However, the database does not identify offenders with substance misuse problems or those with mental health problems.
Office for Criminal Justice Reform: Finance
Chris Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the budget of the Office for Criminal Justice Reform was in each year since it was created; and what its budget is expected to be in each of the next five years. [301478]
Claire Ward: The annual budget for the Office for Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) for the last five years was provided in an answer to the hon. Member for Harborough (Mr. Garnier) on 30 March 2009, Official Report, columns 999 and 1000W.
OCJR's budget for 2009-10 is £129.1 million resource and £20.5 million capital. The budget for 2010-11 has yet to be finalised and budgets from 2011-12 will be determined in the next spending review.
Prisoner's Release
Mr. Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will publish the results of his Department's investigation into the release of a prisoner on remand by mistake from HM Prison Chelmsford on 16 October 2009. [301132]
Maria Eagle: I understand that the hon. Member is referring to the release of a prisoner on 16 November 2009.
It is not Ministry of Justice policy for the contents of investigations to be made public however, I will write to the hon. Member with a summary of the findings, when they are received.
Young People: Crime Prevention
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice which youth offending teams were assessed as requiring significant improvement at their most recent inspections. [301044]
Maria Eagle: This year HMI Probation introduced a new core case inspection regime for youth offending teams (YOTs) looking at three specific areas of practice-safeguarding, risk of harm to others and risk of reoffending. To date only the inspection reports of North West YOTs have been published. Of the 21 YOTs in the North West 12 were assessed as requiring significant improvement in at least one area of practice. Three YOTs were assessed as requiring substantial improvement in a single area of the inspected work: Cumbria, Manchester and Stockport. The following were assessed as requiring substantial improvement in two or more of the areas inspected: Bolton, Bury, Lancashire, Liverpool, Rochdale, Salford, Tameside and Wirral. In addition Sefton YOT was assessed as requiring drastic improvement in two of the three areas and substantial improvement in the other.
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