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8 Dec 2009 : Column 326W—continued
Oil
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had on the (a) availability and (b) use of (i) oil sands and (ii) oil shale. [304051]
Joan Ruddock: I would draw attention to the Westminster Hall debate of 27 October 2009, Official Report, columns 1-23WH, on biofuels. Statistics on the use of biodiesel made from oil seed are published by the Renewable Fuels Agency on their website:
Extraction of oil from shale in the UK began in Scotland in 1862 from limited oil shale deposits in West Lothian but has not been carried out now for some 40 years. However, in the last onshore licensing round in 2008, industry did show some interest in the potential surrounding shale gas in the UK. My Department has recently contracted the British Geological Survey to carry out a reassessment of potential oil and gas shale resources in the UK.
Pay As You Save Scheme
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what progress has been made on the first pilots of the new Pay As You Save scheme. [304469]
Joan Ruddock: Since the announcement of the pilots in the Low Carbon Transition Plan in July we have undertaken the detailed design of the pilots. The applications for delivery partners closed on 6 November.
The assessment process is now complete and the partners and corresponding locations for the pilots have recently been announced.
Renewables Advisory Board: Finance
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Tunbridge Wells (Grey Clark) of 12 October 2009, Official Report, column 436W, on the Renewables Advisory Board, on what date the Renewables Advisory Board budget for 2009-10 was finalised. [303505]
Joan Ruddock: The budget for the Renewables Advisor Board was finalised on 20 August 2009.
Renewables Obligation
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the effect on levels of competition of the cap on the number of renewables obligation certificates available for co-firing of regular biomass. [305178]
Joan Ruddock: We commissioned Oxera to look at the effects of the co-firing cap. Its report was published as part of the Renewables Energy Financial Incentives consultation and can be found at:
We are currently drafting the Government Response addressing this issue.
Charles Hendry:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what account he took of the findings of the report prepared by Oxera for his Department in his decision not to remove the cap on the number of renewables obligation certificates
available for the co-firing of regular biomass; and what the reasons were for his decision. [305179]
Joan Ruddock: We have consulted on whether to amend the co-firing cap as part of the Renewables Energy Financial Incentives consultation which closed on 15 October 2009. The Oxera Report was prepared for DECC as part of this consultation process. We are currently drafting our response.
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with Ofgem on the effect on the level of contribution of biomass to the renewable energy targets of retaining the cap on the number of renewables obligation certificates available for the co-firing of regular biomass. [305180]
Joan Ruddock: In its response to the Renewables Energy Financial Incentives consultation, Ofgem expressed their concern that the cap constrains the contribution to our renewable energy targets from a relatively low-cost renewable technology. We are currently drafting the Government Response addressing these issues.
Salix Finance: Loans
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much in loans has been granted by Salix Finance to (a) public sector and (b) private sector bodies in (i) 2007-08, (ii) 2008-09 and (iii) 2009-10. [303390]
Joan Ruddock: Salix only works with public sector bodies. In each of the following years it has committed funds for energy saving projects to the value of:
| Funds committed (£ million) | |
Salix is working with 259 public sector bodies, operating either long term recycling funds or providing 100 per cent. interest free project loans.
Siemens
Sir Menzies Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has entered into any contracts with Siemens or its subsidiaries since February 2009. [303764]
Joan Ruddock: The Department has since February entered into one contract with Siemens Financial Services, a subsidiary of Siemens for the provision of photocopiers, to the value of £8,238.78.
Warm Front Scheme: Kent
Damian Green:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much funding has been allocated for the Warm Front scheme in (a) Ashford constituency and (b) Kent in 2009-10; and
what the average grant awarded under the Warm Front scheme was in Ashford constituency in each of the last three years. [304923]
Mr. Kidney: The Department does not allocate funding by region, but has a set amount of funding to be used across England. However, total spend in this financial year stands at £227,322.45 in Ashford and £7,716,053.33 in Kent as at 4 December 2009.
The average grant awarded in the Ashford constituency in each of the last three complete years in shown in the following table.
| Average grant (£) | |
Wind Power
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change for how many on-shore wind turbines planning permission has been (a) sought and (b) granted in (i) England, (ii) North Yorkshire and (iii) the City of York since 1996; and how many turbines have been constructed in that period. [304508]
Mr. Kidney: The following table sets out the requested information for the reporting period since 1996:
| Number | |||
| England | North Yorkshire | City of York | |
| So urce: AEA Technology | |||
Business, Innovation and Skills
Adult Education: Student Numbers
Stephen Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many 19 to 24 year olds are studying (a) full-time and (b) part-time on (i) first Level 2, (ii) first Level 3, (iii) subsequent Level 2 and (iv) subsequent Level 3 qualifications. [303307]
Kevin Brennan: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 12 November 2009, Official Report, column 646W.
We do not hold data that show firstness by specific age-group or mode of attendance. Data showing participation on first full level 2 and first full level 3 qualifications are shown in a Statistical First Release (SFR), the next edition of which will be published on 17 December. The SFR can be found here:
Apprentices
Mr. Evennett: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills what proportion of (a) level 2 and (b) level 3 apprenticeship (i) starts and (ii) completions were (A) men and (B) women in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [302586]
Kevin Brennan: Apprenticeship starts and achievements for 2003-04 to 2008-09 (provisional) were published in a statistical first release (SFR) on 22 October:
Supplementary Table 6 shows apprenticeship starts and framework achievements by gender for 2003-04 to 2008-09 (provisional). Table 1 shows starts and framework achievements by gender and level for 2008-09 (provisional).
| Table 1: Apprenticeship starts and achievements by gender and level, 2008-09 (provisional) | |||||||
| Apprenticeship | Advanced Apprenticeship | Total | |||||
| Number | Number | Number | Number | Number | Number | ||
| Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and may therefore not sum to totals. 2. Percentages are based on unrounded figures. 3. Apprenticeship starts and achievements for 2008-09 are provisional. Starts will rise by approximately 2-3 per cent. and achievements will rise by approximately 10 per cent.. This revised information will be shown in the December 2009 SFR, and the accompanying supplementary tables. 4. Full-year numbers are a count of the number of starts/achievements at any point during the year. Learners starting/achieving more than one framework will appear more than once. 5. Higher Level Apprenticeships are included with Advanced Apprenticeships. Source: Individualised Learner Record | |||||||
Bankruptcy
Norman Baker: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills how many bankruptcies there have been in (a) England and Wales, (b) Sussex and (c) Lewes constituency in each of the last five years. [304275]
Ian Lucas: The available information for bankruptcies in England and Wales, Sussex and Lewes constituency between 2004 and 2008 can be seen in the following table. Information for 2009 is not currently available, as regional insolvency statistics are only compiled on an annual basis.
| Bankruptcies | |||
| England and Wales | Sussex( 1) | Lewes constituency( 1) | |
| (1) Where the bankrupt has provided a valid postcode (increasing from 94.5 per cent. of cases in 2004 to 96.9 per cent. in 2008). | |||
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