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8 Feb 2010 : Column 734W—continued
Wind Power
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the total output was of the UK's wind turbines connected to the national grid as a percentage of their load factor in each week in January 2010. [316234]
Mr. Kidney:
Load factors are defined as the average hourly quantity of electricity supplied during the year, expressed as a percentage of the average output capability at the beginning and end of the year. As such, these are only calculated on an annual basis, with the latest data
for 2008 showing 29.4 per cent. for onshore wind and 34.9 per cent. for offshore wind.
However, an indication of the weekly load factor can be obtained by calculating total operational wind generation as a percentage of the theoretical maximum generation for all operationally metered wind plants. These data are made available by national grid and refer only to wind which is operationally metered i.e. around half of the onshore wind farms and none of the offshore wind farms. These data are given in the following table. Where this figure exceeds the load factor for onshore wind, given above, the plants are operating at above average levels.
| Electricity supplied by wind during January 2010 | ||
| Week commencing | Operationally metered wind generation (MWh) | Percentage of operationally metered wind generation relative to theoretical maximum operationally metered supply |
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Burundi: Politics and Government
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the attempted coup to overthrow President Ndayizeye of Burundi; and what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the coup attempt on the July 2010 elections. [315949]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 5 February 2010]: We have received reports that 13 soldiers of the Burundian armed forces were arrested on 29 January 2010 on charges of "planning to destabilise the state". There has been no concrete coup attempt, and there is no reason to believe that this incident will affect preparations for the forthcoming elections.
Mr. Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the EU plans to send an observer mission to the 2010 elections in Burundi; and if he will make a statement. [315950]
Mr. Ivan Lewis [holding answer 5 February 2010]: The elections in Burundi this year remain a top priority for the UK and will mark an important step in further institutionalising the democratic process in Burundi. The presence of an EU Election Observer Mission (EU EOM) would constitute a significant part of this process.
The UK discusses the issue regularly with the European Commission and supports proposals for an EU EOM to Burundi. While the European Commission seeks the views of member states on a proposed priority list of countries for EU EOMs, it ultimately falls to the European Commission themselves to decide where these will be deployed. Similarly, the terms and resourcing for any EU EOM are also ultimately a decision for the European Commission.
Conflict Resolution: Females
Judy Mallaber: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many full-time equivalent officials in his Department work on the (a) central co-ordination of activities on and (b) monitoring of the impact of activities undertaken pursuant to the National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security. [315179]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 21 January 2010, Official Report, column 489W.
Cyprus: Politics and Government
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had on proposals for the unification of Cyprus; and if he will make a statement. [315923]
Chris Bryant: The two leaders have the Government's full support in their determination to achieve a Cyprus settlement for the benefit of all Cypriots and we welcome the recent intensification of talks. Both Cypriot leaders made separate visits to the UK last autumn and held talks with my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister has also recently discussed the Cyprus problem in separate telephone conversations with the two leaders, the Turkish Prime Minister and the Greek Prime Minister. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary recently discussed the ongoing negotiations with both the UN and the Turkish Foreign Minister, in addition to meeting both leaders and the Greek Prime Minister in the autumn. I visited the island in November 2009 and met with all key figures involved in the process. I also raised the settlement talks with my Turkish counterpart, Egeman Bagis, during a recent visit to Istanbul. I have had constant discussions and informal meetings with politicians and leaders of both communities in Cyprus and with both communities' representatives in the UK.
Departmental Housing
Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent estimate he has made of the (a) potential annual rental and (b) total book value of the (i) empty and (ii) occupied residential properties owned by his Department. [313754]
Chris Bryant: This information is not held centrally and is available at only disproportionate cost.
Haiti
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he has had with the Secretary of State for International Development in relation to Haiti in January 2010. [315915]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: My right hon. Friends the Foreign Secretary and Secretary of State for International Development are in regular contact in relation to Haiti.
Ivory Coast: Hazardous Substances
Mr. Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Cote d'Ivoire on the disbursement of the compensation paid by Trafigura in respect of the toxic waste dumped by that company; and if he will make a statement. [316486]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We have made clear to Ivorian Government officials the importance we attach to the claimants receiving the compensation due to them. We welcome both the decision, on 28 January 2010, by the President of the Supreme Court in Abidjan to grant a stay on the transfer of the compensation monies and President Gbagbo's personal interest in this case.
Although we cannot interfere in the Ivorian Court process, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in Accra and Abidjan continue to monitor the case and stress the importance that the victims/claimants receive the monies that are due to them at every available opportunity.
Nigeria
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government plan to provide assistance to the gubernatorial elections in Anambra, Nigeria; and if he will make a statement. [315479]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The UK is not providing direct assistance to gubernatorial elections in Anambra on 6 February 2010, but is, through the Department for International Development (DFID), supporting civil society involved in election-monitoring and voter education in the state, and is also helping to build the capacity of the local media in order to encourage objective reporting of the elections.
My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary joined US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and EU High Representative Baroness Ashton in expressing hope that the election in
Anambra will be a milestone in Nigeria's journey towards electoral reform and a signal of Nigeria's commitment to the principles of democracy.
The UK is also working hard to encourage transparent elections in Nigeria, and to improve democratic governance more broadly, including through the DFID's Deepening Democracy in Nigeria and Democratic Governance for Development programmes, funded in partnership with the European Commission, Canadian International Development Agency and UN Development Programme.
Mr. Keith Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) whether he has made representations to the Nigerian Government on the violence in Jos, Nigeria in January 2010; and if he will make a statement; [315485]
(2) what reports he has received on the number of people displaced following the outbreak of violence in Jos, Nigeria in January 2010; and if he will make a statement; [315486]
(3) what his most recent assessment is of the security situation in Jos, Nigeria; and if he will make a statement; [315487]
(4) what discussions he has had with members of (a) the Commonwealth, (b) the Economic Community of West African States and (c) the African Union on violence in the Nigerian city of Jos in January 2010 on preventing the recurrence of such violence; and if he will make a statement. [315488]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: We are deeply saddened by the recent violence in Jos, Nigeria, where media reports suggest that over 550 people have died. It is not yet clear how many people have been displaced by these tragic events. We understand that the security situation has calmed and stabilised following the deployment of additional security forces by Vice-President Jonathan.
Our high commissioner in Abuja regularly discussed the situation in Jos with both the federal and state governments. He has consistently raised concerns about loss of life, and urged all sides to work together to achieve peaceful reconciliation. On 29 January my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary issued a joint statement with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and EU High Representative Baroness Ashton in which they called on the Government of Nigeria to ensure those responsible for crimes in Jos face justice, and all parties work towards a long-term solution to inter-communal conflict. My noble Friend the Minister of State for Africa also expressed her condolences for those who had lost their lives when she met the Nigerian Foreign Minister in the UK on 20 January 2010. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had direct discussions on Jos with the Nigerian Government, members of the Commonwealth, the Economic Community of West African States or the African Union.
Public Holidays
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of the introduction of an additional public holiday; and if he will make a statement. [315118]
Chris Bryant: This information would be available only at disproportionate cost. The salary cost of work foregone in the UK will depend on the number of staff who are employed on the date of the holiday and their pay costs. Staff at Posts overseas take holidays at the discretion of the Head of Post, taking into account local conditions and law. It might be the case in some locations that an additional UK public holiday would be substituted for one of the existing local holidays so the total number of public holidays taken would remain the same.
Sri Lanka: Politics and Government
Mr. Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the political situation in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. [316206]
Mr. Ivan Lewis: The Sri Lankan Election Commissioner announced on 27 January 2010 that President Rajapakse had won the presidential election with a clear majority. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has written to the President encouraging him to use his new mandate to work towards a fully inclusive political solution which addresses the underlying causes of the conflict. It remains our view that this is the only way to achieve lasting peace in Sri Lanka. Genuine reconciliation between Sri Lanka's communities will depend in a large part on the Government promoting and protecting the rights of all Sri Lankans.
We welcome the fact that election day was largely peaceful. However in his letter to the President the Prime Minister urged the authorities to ensure that investigations are carried out into the reported violations of election law during the election campaign, including the numerous incidents of violence, and to take measures to prevent electoral violations in the forthcoming parliamentary elections. We are also pressing the Government to ensure the safety and security of all candidates and their supporters and to protect media freedoms.
EU High Representative Baroness Ashton released a statement on the election, available at the following link:
http://www.consilium.europa.eu/uedocs/cmsUpload/100129_ Sri_Lanka.pdf
Sudan
Mr. Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he (a) last visited and (b) next plans to visit Sudan. [316360]
Chris Bryant: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary last visited Sudan on 8-9 July 2008. The most recent visit by a Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister was by my noble Friend Baroness Kinnock on 10-13 January this year. For security and operational reasons, we do not announce visits by the Foreign Secretary significantly in advance.
Children, Schools and Families
Children: Day Care
Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families on what criteria the 250,000 nursery places for two-year-olds which the Prime Minister announced on 29 September 2009 will be allocated. [301655]
Dawn Primarolo [holding answer 25 November 2009]: We are committed to rolling out a free entitlement to two-year-olds, stage by stage. By the end of March 2010 it is expected some 20,000 two-year-olds from the most disadvantaged backgrounds will have access to a free early learning and child care place each year.
We will continue to make progress on the long-term ambition that the Prime Minister has set out to provide free part-time nursery places for all two-year-olds whose parents want them.
Decisions regarding the pace of future rollout will need to be taken in the light of wider fiscal considerations as part of the next spending review.
Children's Centres: Eltham
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (1) how many parents he estimates have participated in the introduction of children's centres in Eltham constituency; [314397]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effect on parents in Eltham constituency of the introduction of children's centres; and if he will make a statement. [314398]
Dawn Primarolo: Greenwich local authority is responsible for Sure Start children's centres across its area and will assess local impact on young children and families. National research shows there is a positive Sure Start effect. The National Evaluation of Sure Start (2008) clearly shows that children behave better and are more independent if they live in Sure Start areas. Parents have more positive parenting skills to provide a better home learning environment for their children, helping prepare children to do well at school and make the most of their talents.
Sure Start children's centres are a universal service for all families with children under five. It is important that families, no matter what their situation, can benefit from better integrated, accessible services. The TNS survey of parents, published in 2009, showed that use of children's centres was widespread and that no sub-groups are being excluded from or failing to access centres. The report also shared that 78 per cent. of all respondents knew about their local centre; 74 per cent. were familiar with the term 'children centre'; and levels of satisfaction were very high with 92 per cent. of all users saying they were satisfied (68 per cent. were very satisfied).
Children's Commissioner for England
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will place in the Library a copy of the contract of the new Children's Commissioner. [312040]
Dawn Primarolo: The Children's Commissioner's letter of appointment and terms and conditions contains personal data so it is exempt from disclosure under section 40 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 concerning personal data within the meaning of the Data Protection Act 1998 and so will not be placed in the Library. However, the functions and duties of the Children's Commissioner are set out in section 1 to 9 and schedule 1 of the Children Act 2004. The terms and conditions are subject to provisions of paragraph 3 of schedule 1 of the Children Act 2004.
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