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22 Feb 2010 : Column 68W—continued
Industrial Diseases: Compensation
Mr. David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department has paid to the legal firm Nabarro for handling issues related to compensation to miners for (a) chest diseases, (b) vibration white finger and (c) miners' knee. [317257]
Mr. Kidney: The amount of legal fees the Department has paid to Nabarro for handling compensation to miners in respect of the British Coal Respiratory Disease Litigation (BCRDL), Vibration White Finger Handling Arrangements (VWF) and for Miners Knee Group Litigation as at 10 February 2010 is shown as follows:
| £ | |
These figures are exclusive of VAT and disbursements.
BCRDL fees include representation in the largest personal injury action in the UK over a 12 year period and the VWF fees cover an 11 year period. The Miners Knee Litigation fees cover a period from 2003-04 to date and primarily relate to the Department's obligations for document disclosure.
For the BCRDL and VWF the figures do not include the costs of defending individual court actions.
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Sammy Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's most recent assessment is of the accuracy of reports issued by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. [316589]
Joan Ruddock: We consider that the IPCC's Assessment Reports provide the most authoritative and comprehensive assessment of climate-change science.
Its procedures are robust and are designed to minimise error and ensure a balanced and accurate assessment of the science. However, recent events remind us that even robust processes are not immune to mistakes. Those reported recently are isolated cases out of the thousands of papers reviewed by the IPCC.
The IPCC has proposed that a select group of distinguished external experts advise and guide the IPCC on how best to improve its procedures. A thorough review of the Principles Governing IPCC Work; the procedures for the preparation, review, acceptance, adoption, approval and publication of IPCC reports, is envisaged. The interim results of this review will be discussed at the upcoming session of the IPCC bureau in May 2010.
The UK supports the IPCC in planning to learn from mistakes and strengthen its procedures to ensure that its processes are properly followed. We remain committed to the IPCC as the primary source of information on climate-change science.
Recent errors have not changed the fundamental message that human induced climate change is happening and that we must act now to prevent the worst consequences.
Members: Correspondence
Sir Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to reply to the letter of 15 December 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss M. Granath. [315019]
Mr. Kidney: I replied to my right hon. Friend on 28 January.
Milton Keynes
Mr. Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to North-East Milton Keynes constituency, the effects on Milton Keynes of the policies and actions of his Department and its predecessors since 1997. [316037]
Joan Ruddock: The Department of Energy and Climate Change and its predecessors have implemented a large number of policies to address energy security, emissions reductions, low carbon economic growth and fuel poverty since 1997. Following are some of the key achievements, along with information on the number of households assisted by the warm front scheme in North-East Milton Keynes constituency. It would be disproportionately costly to provide statistical information on the impact of all the policies to the level of detail requested, but statistical information covering energy and climate change is available at:
Total UK greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by about 12 per cent. compared with 1997.
The UK is on track to cut emissions by nearly twice our Kyoto target (22 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2008-12 compared to the target of 12.5 per cent. set out under the Kyoto agreement).
The Climate Change Act in 2008 set a target of at least 80 per cent. reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050. Our first three carbon budgets legally bind the UK to a cut in greenhouse gases of 34 per cent. by 2018-22 against a 1990 baseline. In 2009, the UK's Low Carbon Transition Plan set out the long-term vision for climate change and energy and shows how we will meet the carbon budgets set out in the Climate Change Act.
In the same year, the Department published National Policy Statements on energy infrastructure which will lead to faster and
fairer planning decisions and a diverse low carbon energy mix. An ambitious new framework for clean coal will also drive development of carbon capture and storage.
The UK's energy market is the most competitive in the EU and has attracted over £97 billion of investment from 1997 to 2008 (at 2005 prices). The UK also has the greatest installed capacity of offshore wind in the world.
Turning to household measures, since 2002, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and its predecessors have helped over 6 million households with insulation measures, with almost 3 million of these in a priority group of vulnerable households.
Government will be providing more financial assistance to help people generate their own heat and electricity in low carbon ways, where appropriate, through "clean energy cashback" schemes:
Feed-in tariffs (FITs) will be in place from April 2010. Payment for low carbon electricity produced by small-scale generators (including households) will be provided through the electricity supply companies to encourage the uptake of low carbon and renewable electricity generating technologies by households, businesses and communities.
The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI), scheduled for launch in April 2011, will provide households, communities and businesses with payment for getting their heat from renewable sources. The detailed design of the RHI is currently out for consultation.
Warm Front s cheme: North-East Milton Keynes constituency
DECC's Warm Front scheme provides grants for households on qualifying income and disability related benefits to install a range of insulation and heating measures in their homes. Since 2000 the scheme has assisted 1,230 households in the North-East Milton Keynes constituency.
Nuclear Installations: Security
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will authorise the director of the Office for Civil Nuclear Security within the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate to release a redacted version of the nuclear industries malicious capabilities planning assumptions. [317559]
Mr. Kidney: The Nuclear Industries Malicious Capabilities (Planning) Assumptions is a protectively marked document produced by the Director of Civil Nuclear Security (DCNS) for use by the operators of civil licensed nuclear sites, approved carriers of nuclear material and other authorised persons. The purpose of the document is to set out the attributes and characteristics of those posing a threat to nuclear premises and to nuclear material so that an appropriate level of security can be put in place to protect against such malicious capabilities. This is a sensitive planning document underpinning security throughout the UK's civil nuclear industry and DCNS advises that it cannot be released, even in a redacted form, without significant risk to national security.
Nuclear Power Stations: Construction
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will place in the Library a copy of (a) each leaflet and poster used to publicise each public consultation event held in the communities named as prospective sites for new nuclear build, (b) the printout of any PowerPoint presentation shown, (c) each DVD used and (d) all speeches made by Ministers or departmental officials at each such event. [317886]
Mr. Kidney: I have placed in the Library copies of (a) leaflets and posters used to publicise the draft nuclear NPS consultation events. Copies of (b) PowerPoint presentations and (d) transcripts of the meetings which include the speeches made by departmental officials at these events, can be found online on the URLs
No DVDs were produced for the consultation events on the draft nuclear NPS.
Offshore Industry: Taxation
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much the Government paid to (a) the Isle of Man and (b) Northern Ireland in respect of UK Continental Shelf receipts in (i) 2008 and (ii) 2009. [317052]
Mr. Kidney: The following table shows how much the Government have paid to (a) the Isle of Man and (b) Northern Ireland in respect of a share of UK Continental Shelf receipts in FY 2007-08 and 2008-09:
| Payments to Isle of Man and Northern Ireland | ||
| £000 | ||
| Financial year | Isle of Man | Northern Ireland |
Public Holidays
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change 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. [315120]
Joan Ruddock: No such estimate has been made.
Renewable Energy: Finance
Mr. Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will publish the findings of his Department's research on Willingness to Pay, prepared in conjunction with the Energy Saving Trust; and if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of that research. [317066]
Joan Ruddock: The Energy Savings Trust will publish findings from the Willingness to Pay research early in March. The report will be available for download from the EST website and a copy will be placed in the House Library.
Slough
Fiona Mactaggart: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will set out, with statistical information related as directly as possible to the Slough constituency, the effects on Slough of his Department's policies and actions since it was established. [311985]
Joan Ruddock: The Department of Energy and Climate Change and its predecessors have implemented a large number of policies to address energy security, emissions reductions, low carbon economic growth and fuel poverty. Following are set out some of the key achievements, along with information on the number of households assisted by the Warm Front scheme in Slough constituency. It would be disproportionately costly to provide statistical information on the impact of all the policies to the level of detail requested, but statistical information covering energy and climate change is available at:
Total UK greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by about 12 per cent. compared with 1997.
The UK is on track to cut emissions by nearly twice our Kyoto target (22 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2008-12 compared to the target of 12.5 per cent. set out under the Kyoto agreement).
The Climate Change Act in 2008 set a target of at least 80 per cent. reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050. Our first three carbon budgets legally bind the UK to a cut in greenhouse gases of 34 per cent. by 2018-22 against a 1990 baseline. In 2009, the UK's Low Carbon Transition Plan set out the long-term vision for climate change and energy and shows how we will meet the carbon budgets set out in the Climate Change Act.
In the same year, the Department published National Policy Statements on energy infrastructure which will lead to faster and fairer planning decisions and a diverse low carbon energy mix. An ambitious new framework for clean coal will also drive development of carbon capture and storage.
The UK's energy market is the most competitive in the EU and has attracted over £97 billion of investment from 1997 to 2008 (at 2005 prices). The UK also has the greatest installed capacity of offshore wind in the world.
Turning to household measures, since 2002, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target (CERT) and its predecessors have helped over 6 million households with insulation measures with almost 3 million of these in a priority group of vulnerable households.
Government will be providing more financial assistance to help people generate their own heat and electricity in low carbon ways, where appropriate, through "clean energy cashback" schemes:
Feed-in Tariffs (FITs) will be in place from April 2010. Payment for low carbon electricity produced by small-scale generators (including households), will be provided through the electricity supply companies to encourage the uptake of low carbon and renewable electricity generating technologies by households, businesses and communities.
The Renewable Heat Incentive (RHT), scheduled for launch in April 2011, will provide households, communities and businesses with payment for getting their heat from renewable sources. The detailed design of the RHI is currently out for consultation.
Warm Front scheme: Slough constituency
DECC's Warm Front scheme provides grants for households on qualifying income and disability related benefits to install a range of insulation and heating measures in their homes. Since 2000 the scheme has assisted 1,426 households in the Slough constituency.
Streatham
Keith Hill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Streatham constituency, the effects on that constituency of changes to his Department's policies since its inception. [313398]
Joan Ruddock: The Department of Energy and Climate Change and its predecessors have implemented a large number of policies to address energy security, emissions reductions, low carbon economic growth and fuel poverty since 1997. Some of the key achievements are set out as follows, along with information on the number of households assisted by the Warm Front scheme in Streatham constituency. It would be disproportionately costly to provide statistical information on all the impact of all the policies to the level of detail requested, but statistical information covering energy and climate change is available at:
Total UK greenhouse gas emissions have been reduced by about 12 per cent. compared with 1997.
The UK is on track to cut emissions by nearly twice our Kyoto target (22 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2008-12 compared to the target of 12.5 per cent. set out under the Kyoto agreement).
The Climate Change Act in 2008 set a target of at least 80 per cent. reduction in greenhouse gases by 2050. Our first three carbon budgets legally bind the UK to a cut in greenhouse gases of 34 per cent. by 2018-22 against a 1990 baseline. In 2009, the UK's Low Carbon Transition Plan set out the long-term vision for climate change and energy and showing how we will meet the carbon budgets set out in the Climate Change Act.
In the same year, the Department published National Policy Statements on energy infrastructure which will lead to faster and fairer planning decisions and a diverse low carbon energy mix. An ambitious new framework for clean coal will also drive development of carbon capture and storage.
The UK's energy market is the most competitive in the EU and has attracted over £97 billion of investment from 1997 to 2008 (at 2005 prices). The UK also has the greatest installed capacity of offshore wind in the world.
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