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16 Mar 2010 : Column 794W—continued
Carbon Emissions: Housing
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made an assessment of the merits of withdrawing subsidies from suppliers of Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme products in circumstances in which their products are deemed to be dominant in the market. [322482]
Joan Ruddock: The supplier obligation (now termed the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target) has been set over three year cycles precisely to allow the Government to reflect on its successes and to evolve the scheme so that it only pulls through the most energy efficient products with the most potential to provide for household sector carbon emissions reductions. The measures eligible for each phase are subject to full public consultation. The consultation on the April 2011 to December 2012 extension of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, concluding on 14 March 2010, does though specifically ask whether the Government should introduce up front sunset clauses for products when they reach a certain level of market penetration.
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent research his Department has undertaken into the (a) cost-effectiveness of the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target scheme and (b) effectiveness of the administration of that scheme; and if he will make a statement. [322484]
Joan Ruddock: An independent assessment is commissioned at the end of each three year phase of the Supplier Obligation (now termed the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target), building on the cost-benefit assessment undertaken and published at the launch of each scheme. Independent analysis of the three year supplier obligation scheme ending March 2008 showed it to have been extremely cost effective in delivery-that for every £1 added on to GB household bills to pay for the obligation, benefits equate to an average saving of £9 per household bill over the lifetime of the measures. Equally, the present supplier obligation, the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, is believed to be highly cost-effective, with expected annual benefits (net of costs) of around £649 million for the lifetime of the measures, with around £228 benefits per tonne of carbon dioxide saved in the traded sector and £153 benefits per tonne of CO2 saved in the non-traded sector.
Departmental Advertising
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the cost was of each full-page advertisement taken out by his Department in a national newspaper in (a) October and (b) November 2009. [320336]
Joan Ruddock: We have not taken out full page advertisements for the Act on CO2 campaign in October and November 2009 except in newspaper supplements (mainly due to their format size). See the following table.
| Act on CO 2 campaign-Full page newspaper adverts (including supplements), October to November 2009-planned booking costs only | |||
| Publication | Size | Gross cost per insertion (£) | Number of insertions |
| Note: All rates subject to negotiation and availability at time of booking. | |||
Departmental Internet
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 1 March 2010, Official Report, column 903W, on departmental internet, what the cost was of the website redesign. [321931]
Joan Ruddock: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has commissioned only one design for its website since inception. The design is that used by the Department's official corporate website:
which was launched on 23 February 2009. The cost of the design work was £8,435.00.
Mr. Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many designs for its (a) internal website and (b) intranet his Department has commissioned since its inception; and what the cost was of each such design. [321993]
Joan Ruddock: The Department does not have an internal website other than its intranet.
The Department has commissioned one design for its intranet since inception. The cost of the design was £2,185.00
Departmental Marketing
Mr. Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Ruislip Northwood of 5 January 2010, Official Report, column 103W, on departmental marketing, how much his Department and agencies have spent on advertising, marketing, public relations and publicity in relation to the (a) Real Help Now and (b) Building Britain's Future themed campaign to date. [320457]
Joan Ruddock: There has been no expenditure on advertising, marketing or public relations and publicity on either the 'Real Help Now' or the 'Building Britain's Future' campaign by the Department of Energy and Climate Change or its agencies.
Departmental Ministerial Policy Advisers
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many full-time equivalent staff of each grade are employed by his Department to assist special advisers. [321134]
Joan Ruddock: One full-time equivalent executive officer and one full-time equivalent administrative officer assist special advisers in my Department.
Departmental Travel
Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much (a) Ministers and (b) staff of each grade in his Department spent on first class travel in the last 12 months. [320402]
Joan Ruddock: During the financial year 2009-10 from 1 April 2009 to 31 January 2010 the Department of Energy and Climate Change has spent £152,502.53 on first class rail travel. No first class air travel was undertaken during this period. A breakdown of data for Ministers and officials by grade can be provided only by incurring disproportionate costs.
Energy: Billing
Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the effect on domestic fuel bills of the Renewable Heat Incentive in each of the next five years. [321462]
Mr. Kidney [holding answer 10 March 2010]: The Government published a consultation on the Renewable Heat Incentive on 1 February which remains open until 26 April and we invite stakeholders to respond with their views about the design of the incentive scheme.
As set out in the consultation, the Government are looking at options of how best to fund the Renewable Heat Incentive and we will make a further announcement at Budget 2010.
Energy: Carbon Emissions
Mr. Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will bring forward proposals to require energy suppliers to account for expenditure on meeting their carbon emissions reduction targets by reporting savings achieved as tonnes of carbon saved against expenditure in respect of each tariff; and if he will make a statement. [322481]
Joan Ruddock: The Government agree that improving the transparency of the costs falling to suppliers from meeting their supplier obligation and how they pass these costs onto consumers is critical. The Government's 'Warm Homes, Greener Homes' strategy published in early March set out the importance of greater transparency in any post-2013 energy company obligation, including around cost information. We continue to develop the detail of this arrangement, and will pursue new powers as necessary.
Fossil Fuels
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he made of the level of fossil fuel dependency in the latest year for which figures are available; and what information he holds for benchmarking purposes on the level of fossil fuel dependency of other G8 countries. [320315]
Mr. Kidney: Fossil fuel dependency is measured as the proportion of total primary energy supply met by coal, oil and gas. In 2008 the UK had a dependency rate of 91.5 per cent.
International comparisons for benchmarking purposes are published as indicator E5.5 in DECC's Energy Sector Indicators. Data for G8 countries are shown in the following table, with data sourced from the International Energy Agency. Due to different adjustments being made by the IEA and the use of net calorific values, a slightly different estimate is produced for the UK.
| Fossil fuel dependency in 2008 | |
| Percentage | |
| (1) Data for Russia are for 2007 | |
Greater Manchester
Sir Gerald Kaufman: 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 Manchester, Gorton constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies since its inception. [322143]
Joan Ruddock: The Department of Energy and Climate Change has implemented a large number of policies to address energy security, emissions reductions, low carbon economic growth and fuel poverty. 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 Manchester, Gorton 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:
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 2009, my 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.
In March 2010 the Government's household energy management strategy-Warm Homes, Greener Homes-set out plans for meeting the target of a reduction of 29 per cent. in (non-traded) carbon emissions in the household sector. The strategy will make it easier for people to take action, removing the deterrent of upfront costs by, for example, paving the way for 'pay as you save' energy efficiency loans.
The 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.
Warm Front scheme: Manchester, Gorton 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. The number of households assisted in Manchester, Gorton from 6 April 2008 to 28 February 2010 was 914.
Marine Renewables Deployment Fund
Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much has been disbursed from the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund to date. [320305]
Mr. Kidney: A total of £2,275,000 has been disbursed from the Marine Renewables Deployment Fund (MRDF) through infrastructure and research projects since its inception in 2005.
Nuclear Power Stations: Construction
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has taken steps to establish a forum for non-governmental organisations to consider issues arising from proposals for the construction of new nuclear plants. [322477]
Mr. Kidney: Yes. It is planned that such a forum for non-governmental organisations will be established. The draft Terms of Reference of this forum will be subject to discussion, debate and agreement at an inaugural meeting, which it is intended to hold this spring.
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