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25 Mar 2010 : Column 436W—continued

Redpoint: Expenditure

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department paid to Redpoint for the production of the report entitled (a) implementation of the EU 2020 renewables target in the UK electricity sector: RO Reform and (b) Carbon Capture and Storage demonstration: analysis of policies on coal/CCS and financial incentive schemes; and how much his Department has paid to Redpoint since 3 October 2008. [320333]

Joan Ruddock: The Department has paid a total of £533,486 to Redpoint since 3 October 2008. The total paid for the RO Reform report was £155,710 and £142,427 for the Carbon Capture and Storage report. The costs include VAT.

Water

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the contribution of domestic hot water use to national (a) energy consumption and (b) carbon dioxide emissions. [324124]

Joan Ruddock: The Government's UK Low Carbon Transition Plan published in July 2009 covered energy use and CO2 emissions from the domestic sector. It highlights that the energy used in our homes for heating water (excluding that for heating our homes) is 25 per cent. of the overall domestic energy use.

The Environment Agency have carried out extensive research on the CO2 emissions from domestic hot water use. Their latest research suggests that annual emissions from heating water in a typical home are approximately 900kgCO2. This at the UK level these represent ~23MtCO2/yr of the 140.7MtCO2/yr attributable to energy end use in homes (including emissions from electricity use in homes).

Further information can be found in the Environment Agency report here:

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what account has been taken of the role of water efficiency when developing the Home Energy Management Strategy. [324125]

Joan Ruddock: The Government's Household Energy Management Strategy 'Green Homes, Warmer Homes', published on 2 March:


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focuses on cutting carbon emissions from the household sector through energy efficiency and other measures. In developing the strategy, my Department met representatives of a variety of organisations, including Waterwise who campaign on water efficiency.

Wind Power: Compensation

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will meet representatives of the inshore fishing industry to discuss compensation to that industry from offshore wind farm operators. [324050]

Mr. Kidney: The general principles of arrangements for compensation for fishermen adversely affected by wind farm development have been discussed at length in the Fishing Liaison with Offshore Wind and Wet Renewables Group on which my Department, wind developers and the fishing industry are represented. The group, which includes a representative from the inshore fishing sector, has produced best practice guidance that can be found at

This guidance includes an appendix dealing with issues concerning assessing the value of fishing activities and related compensation, disruption or displacement payments.

Transport

A13: Litter

Andrew Mackinlay: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what contractual obligations apply to the contract for the A13/A1089 in Thurrock held by Connect Plus Group for cleaning and collecting rubbish and litter from the highways and its embankments; how performance against those obligations is monitored; and if he will make a statement. [324268]

Chris Mole: The contractual obligations that apply to Connect Plus for the cleaning and collecting of rubbish and litter from the A13/A1089 highway and its
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embankments require the contractor to perform routine services in respect of sweeping and cleaning.

The general requirement is to comply with the standards of cleanliness set out in the Environmental Protection Act 1990: Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse, for the sweeping and cleaning of all channels and hard shoulders, verges, central reservations, lay-bys, slopes, removal of litter and sweeping of footways and cycle tracks.

Performance against these sweeping and cleaning obligations is measured and reported to the Highways Agency for review on a monthly basis.

Departmental Buildings

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department spent on interior design in relation to office refurbishments undertaken in each of the last five years. [324683]

Chris Mole: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

East Coast Railway Line

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his most recent assessment is of the likely date for returning the East Coast Main Line franchise to the private sector. [324131]

Chris Mole: The planned start date of the new franchise is November 2011.

Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much it has cost the public purse to run the railway services on the East Coast Main Line in each month since 13 December 2009. [324190]

Chris Mole: East Coast is a revenue generative business which returns a surplus to the public purse. Payments are made on a rail period rather than monthly basis. The following table shows the payments that East Coast is contracted to make in its first five periods of operation which show that the business will return some £47 million to the public purse during this time.

Rail period

Amount (£)

Period 9 (part period)

13 November 2009 to 12 December 2009

(1)12,636,157

Period 10

13 December 2009 to 9 January 2010

(2)(4,630,742)

Period 11

10 January 2010 to 6 February 2010

(1)14,183,011

Period 12

7 February 2010 to 6 March 2010

(1)13,786,696

Period 13

7 March 2010 to 31 March 2010

(1)11,112,614

Total

(1)47,087,736

(1) Payment to DFT.
(2) Payment to East Coast.

Mrs. Villiers: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his estimate is of the likely cost to the public purse of the failure of National Express's East Coast Main Line franchise. [324191]

Chris Mole: It is not possible to estimate the likely cost to the public purse of the failure of National Express's East Coast franchise at present. The final cost is dependent on the resolution of outstanding issues with National Express, the level of ticket revenue generated by East Coast and the value achieved for the franchise when it is re-let.

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many jobs were lost (a) directly and (b) indirectly as a result of the failure of National Express's East Coast Main Line franchise. [324193]


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Chris Mole: No jobs were lost either directly or indirectly as a result of the failure of National Express's East Coast Mainline franchise.

Some changes were made to the executive team with a new Managing Director appointed before the handover and three new Directors since.

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what his estimate is of the financial effects on the economy of the failure of National Express's East Coast Main Line franchise. [324194]

Chris Mole: The failure of National Express East Coast will not result in a cost to the economy. The Government ensured the continuity of rail services through the use of its statutory powers.

First Capital Connect

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what meetings have been held between Ministers in his Department and (a) First Capital Connect, (b) the Office of the Rail Regulator and (c) others on the performance of First Capital Connect in the period 1 October 2009 to 31 January 2010; and if he will make a statement. [315509]

Chris Mole [holding answer 4 February 2010]: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 27 January 2010, Official Report, column 877W.

Ministers have not had any meetings with the Office of Rail Regulation about First Capital Connect during that period. However, Ministers have regular meeting to discuss the performance of all train operating companies, including First Capital Connect.

The Secretary of State had a further meeting with the Chief Executive of First Group and the Managing Director of First Capital Connect on 2 February.

Infrastructure: National Policy Statements

Ms Angela C. Smith: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport when the National Policy Statement for National Networks will be published. [324410]

Chris Mole: An announcement on the publication of the National Networks National Policy Statement will be made in due course.

Languages

Mr. Philip Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many (a) Ministers and (b) civil servants in his Department received coaching in a foreign language in the last 12 months; what expenditure his Department incurred in providing such coaching; and in what languages such coaching was provided. [320536]

Chris Mole: No Ministers have received coaching in a foreign language in the last 12 months.

The following table provides a break down of Civil Servants within the Department for Transport and its agencies who have received coaching in a Foreign Language:


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Foreign Language(s) Number of civil servants receiving foreign language coaching Expenditure incurred

Chinese, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, BSL and Welsh

13

1,304


Network Rail: Finance

Mr. Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what the projected budget allocation is for Network Rail in respect of (a) station maintenance, (b) track maintenance, (c) vegetation and tree management, (d) signal maintenance, (e) points, switches and crossings maintenance, (f) drainage maintenance, (g) fencing maintenance, (h) bridge and other structure maintenance, (i) buildings maintenance, (j) litter collection and policing, (k) graffiti removal and policing and (l) CCTV for the next 10 years; [323723]

(2) what budget was allocated to Network Rail in respect of (a) station maintenance, (b) track maintenance, (c) vegetation and tree management, (d) signal maintenance, (e) points, switches and crossings maintenance, (f) drainage maintenance, (g) fencing maintenance, (h) bridge and other structure maintenance, (i) buildings maintenance, (j) litter collection and policing, (k) graffiti removal and policing and (l) CCTV in each year since its inception; [323724]

(3) what the projected budget allocation is for Network Rail in each of the next 10 years; [323725]

(4) what Network Rail's budget allocation was in each year since its inception. [323726]

Chris Mole: Information about the funding available to Network Rail in the coming years is published by the independent Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) in its document, "Periodic review 2008, Determination of Network Rail's outputs and funding for 2009-14". The document is available on ORR's website at:

Details of Network Rail's historic budget allocations are published in the company's annual Regulatory Financial Statements, which are available on its website at:

Parking: Housing

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport whether he has made an estimate of the proportion of households affected by (a) yellow line and (b) controlled parking zone restrictions in each year since 1997. [324016]

Mr. Khan: The introduction of yellow line parking restrictions or controlled parking zones are matters for individual local authorities, following appropriate consultation. No central record is kept of these local decisions, and the Government have made no estimate of the proportion of households affected.


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Railway Stations: Greater London

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 7 December 2009, Official Report, columns 40-1W, on railway stations: Greater London, at which stations in Greater London improvement is (a) completed, (b) under way but not completed, (c) scheduled to start in 2010-11, (d) scheduled to start in 2011-12 and (e) scheduled to start in 2012-13. [323653]

Chris Mole: There are currently 38 stations in London boroughs in the Access for All Programme. Of these, 10 are complete or will be complete by the end of this financial year. Work is under way on a further three. According to Network Rail's latest delivery plan, there are seven stations where work is due to start on site in 2010-11, 11 in 2011-12, six in 2012-13, and one from 2013 onwards. A document listing the stations which are at each stage has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Railways: Construction

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport for what reasons no environment impact assessment was produced ahead of the consultation on the High Speed Two Exceptional Hardship Schemes; and if he will make a statement. [324255]

Chris Mole: The proposed Exceptional Hardship Scheme sets out proposals to help certain home-owners who may be affected by blight following publication of the Government's response to HS2 Ltd'.s recommendations. The scheme is not a "project" for the purposes of Council Directive 1985/337/EEC on the assessment of effects of certain public and private projects on the environment. Accordingly, no environmental impact assessment is required.

If a decision is taken to proceed with high speed rail, the appropriate environmental assessment would form part of any preparations for the introduction of a Hybrid Bill.

Mrs. Gillan: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport for what reasons Buckinghamshire county council has not been included on the list of consultees for the consultation on the High Speed Two Exceptional Hardship Scheme. [324256]

Chris Mole: Buckinghamshire county council is regarded as a consultee. The leader and chief executive were sent copies of all the relevant materials following the Statement on high speed rail by the Secretary for State for Transport. Any individual or organisation can request copies of and respond to the Exceptional Hardship Scheme consultation. Copies are available from DFT Publications at


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