Waste Management
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what assistance her Department is providing for the development of systems and procedures to enable farm-scale anaerobic digestion; [48592]
(2) what assistance her Department is providing for the development of anaerobic digestate as a commercial fertiliser. [48593]
Richard Benyon: The Government are exploring this issue with industry, and are committed to increasing energy from waste (such as the production of heat, electricity and transport fuels) through anaerobic digestion (AD). This work is led by DEFRA, working closely with the Department of Energy and Climate Change and other Government Departments.
The AD Framework document published in November 2010 sets out the steps which the Government believe need to be taken to achieve that aim. The project aims to facilitate collaborative work between industry, government and a wide range of interested parties to identify barriers to the uptake of AD, and key actions that can be taken forwards by industry, or in partnership. The project will look at issues relating to all models and
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technologies for AD which will include on-farm plants, and at issues relating to building and securing safe markets for digestate.
The document acknowledges that digestate is a valuable resource that can be used to displace inorganic fertiliser and that there is a need for clearly defined routes for the use of digestate so that renewable resources are recycled sustainably.
Two important documents on digestate are already available:
The Quality Protocol for the production and use of quality outputs from the anaerobic digestion of source-segregated biodegradable waste (17 September 2009).
The standard for digestate BSI PAS110 (22 February 2010).
These clarify when this material has been fully recovered and waste management controls are no longer required. They also provide users with confidence that the digestate they purchase conforms to an approved standard.
An AD strategy document is set to be published in the second quarter of 2011.
Water
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to measure the level of water used in each stage of the food supply chain. [49265]
Richard Benyon: We are taking a number of steps to improve national estimates of water use and to help businesses measure the level of water used in their own supply chains.
DEFRA is working with the Environment Agency to improve the quality of estimates of water abstraction by different parts of the supply chain; with Ofwat (the water services regulation authority) and the water companies to improve the consistency and detail of information provided by the water companies on the use of public water supply by different sectors; and with the Office for National Statistics on survey information which will enable us to estimate water use at a detailed sector level. We are engaging with the European Commission on its scoping work on water management initiatives. We are also appraising the options for water used in the production of goods or services in the supply chain, and will be providing support to businesses to sustainably manage and reduce this water usage.
Mr Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to consult on the application to regions other than the south-west of her proposals on water affordability. [49621]
Richard Benyon [holding answer 29 March 2011]: The Government are committed to supporting households that face water affordability pressures and those in areas with particularly high water bills, such as the south-west.
We will consult shortly on proposals to address water affordability across England. This will include reforms to the existing WaterSure scheme, the introduction of company social tariffs and options for additional Government spending to provide further support.
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Mr Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which bodies her Department has consulted as part of the preparation of its Water White Paper. [49205]
Richard Benyon [holding answer 28 March 2011]: We have consulted with a wide range of bodies in the development of policies which might potentially form part of the Water White Paper, including water companies, consumer organisations, other parts of Government, environmental groups, local authorities, the investment community and land managers. This has involved various stakeholder events and individual meetings.
We also received over 800 responses to our online survey on the White Paper, and over 60 responses to the Call for Evidence for the Review of Ofwat, both of which were open to anyone.
Work and Pensions
Bereavement Benefits
Mr Alan Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will bring forward proposals to equalise the eligibility of survivors of (a) cohabiting couples and (b) married couples for bereavement benefits and payments; [49151]
(2) what guidance his Department issues on the compatibility with equalities legislation of the practice of awarding bereavement benefits and other such payments to the survivors of (a) married and (b) cohabiting couples. [49167]
Steve Webb: Following a death, bereavement benefits—widowed parent's allowance, bereavement allowance and bereavement payment—are payable to the surviving spouse or civil partner on the basis of the national insurance contributions paid by the deceased person. Other qualifying conditions must also be met.
There are no plans to extend those benefits to cohabiting couples.
The Department does not issue guidance on the compatibility of bereavement benefits policy with equalities legislation and there is no duty to do so. I am satisfied that restricting those contributory benefits to surviving spouses and civil partners is not discriminatory.
Departmental Leaseback Arrangements
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assets his Department has sold and leased back over the last 12 months; what the sale price was of each asset so sold; and what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of leasing back each such asset over the period of the lease. [45078]
Chris Grayling: The Department and its Agencies do not own any land or property. Asset transfer has already been completed through a private finance initiative contract known as PRIME, returning exchequer receipts of £250 million in 1998 and £100 million in 2003 when DWP outsourced its estate.
The DWP disposed of the majority of its vehicle fleet in August 2007. The Department's information systems/information technology and telephony requirements were outsourced to EDS (now part of Hewlett Packard) and BT in 2005.
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Departmental Plants
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department has spent on indoor and outdoor plants and trees since his appointment. [48403]
Chris Grayling: DWP occupies its properties under the terms of a 20 year private finance initiative contract entered into in 1998 and pays an all inclusive unitary charge. The contract includes the provision of indoor plants, the cost of which is not separately identifiable, and the provision of landscape maintenance, from which the cost of (maintaining) outdoor plants and trees is not separately identifiable.
Employment Schemes
Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether Work Programme providers will be permitted to provide basic numeracy and literacy skills training to participants where such skills are deemed necessary workplace skills. [49261]
Chris Grayling: The Government are clear that providers are best placed to know what works for customers and as such we will not specify what Work Programme providers should deliver. Therefore Work Programme providers are free to offer whatever support they deem necessary to help a person back to work, including basic numeracy and literacy skills training.
Employment Schemes: Incentives
Peter Aldous: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account arrangements in the Work Programme for rewarding providers for retaining people in work take of the predominance of seasonal employment in some areas. [49168]
Chris Grayling: The Work Programme funding model has been designed to strongly encourage providers to get people into long term sustainable employment. However, we acknowledge that in some cases people will move jobs, as may be the case in areas where seasonal employment is high. As such a period of employment for which a provider can claim an outcome does not necessarily need to be with one employer, but may be made up of two or more periods of employment.
This allows providers to take into account the local labour markets in areas where there may be a high proportion of seasonal employment. However, the emphasis of the Work Programme will, quite rightly, remain in getting people permanent employment in which they can progress.
Future Jobs Fund
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the drop out rate was for each of the Future Jobs Fund pilot schemes. [48312]
Chris Grayling: The future jobs fund (FJF) was not piloted. Recruitment to the FJF commenced in October 2009 and is due to finish in March 2011, with FJF placements expected to last for six months.
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Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information his Department holds on the number of people placed in employment in (a) Ashfield constituency and (b) Nottinghamshire through the Future Jobs Fund. [49874]
Chris Grayling: The Future Jobs Fund (FJF), at up to £6,500 per person, does not offer value for money to the taxpayer. It creates temporary, short-term placements, and the grants do not include any incentives to move people into permanent employment.
Recent analysis shows over 45% of FJF participants are claiming benefit seven months after they started FJF. There are still too many FJF participants who are failing to get a sustained job. The published version of the analysis can be found here:
http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2011/early_analysis_of_fjf_participant_outcomes_march2011.pdf
The most recent Young Person's Guarantee statistics were published on 19 January 2011. Statistics are available on the FJF which covers the period from October 2009 to the end of October 2010.
There have been a total of 2,000 FJF-funded employment starts within the county of Nottinghamshire between October 2009 and October 2010 which includes 150 within the parliamentary constituency of Ashfield.
Breakdowns of this information can be found in the following table:
| The number of people within Nottinghamshire county and Ashfield parliamentary constituency that have started FJF funded employment since October 2009 | ||
| Month | Nottinghamshire | Ashfield |
| Notes: 1. Data source—DWP LMS opportunities evaluation database November 2010. 2. Due to data protection protocols, values less than 10 are suppressed and marked with a dash to avoid unnecessary disclosure. Additionally, any figures above 10 are rounded to the nearest 10. Due to rounding, totals may not be the sum of the individual ceils. Months are calendar months. Source: Department for Work and Pensions, Jobseekers and Work Programme Division | ||
Housing Benefit
Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what circumstances a single person with no children would be affected by the housing benefit cap; and if he will make a statement. [49782]
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Steve Webb: From April 2011, the maximum local housing allowance rate for a single person with no children who claims housing benefit is £250 per week. This limit will apply in cases where the contractual rent exceeds that amount.
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether discretionary housing payments are to be included in the calculation for the total household benefits cap. [49864]
Steve Webb: Discretionary housing payments will not be included in the calculation for the total household benefits cap.
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many applications were made for discretionary housing payments in each local authority area in England in each of the last five years; and how many (a) were granted and (b) went to appeal in each such year. [49865]
Steve Webb: Applications for discretionary housing payments are made to the local authorities, and the Department does not ask for returns on either the number of applications made or the number of appeals.
The Department does ask local authorities for the number of awards that are granted. However, this information is not always completed by local authorities, and so the data that the Department holds are incomplete.
Social Fund
Kate Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of his Department’s budget for crisis loans he proposes to devolve to local authorities under his plans for reform of the social fund; and if he will make a statement. [49171]
Steve Webb: The annually managed expenditure allocated to social fund grants and loans will be proportioned between local authorities in England and the devolved Administrations.
We are currently developing options on how the funding will be allocated between local authorities in England and the devolved Administrations. Any new administrative burdens on local authorities will be assessed in the usual way and funded by the Department for Work and Pensions.
Social Security Benefits
Mr Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to paragraph 14 of his Department's impact assessment on fraud penalties and sanctions, how many (a) cases leading to three-year loss of benefit for organised fraud and (b) cases of longer one to three strike loss of benefit sanction he expects there to be as a result of his proposed measures in each year to 2014-15. [46405]
Chris Grayling: The following table shows the estimates of the number of cases which potentially could result in (a) three-year loss of benefit for organised fraud (b) longer one to three strikes for loss of benefit sanction each year to 2014-15. These measures will be introduced in 2012.
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Universal Credit
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether an employee whose employer is not yet providing real-time earnings data to HM Revenue and Customs applying for universal credit after October 2013 will have their application treated as an application for tax credits rather than universal credit. [41278]
Chris Grayling: The White Paper “welfare that works” set out a provisional timetable for taking on claims to universal credit, with the current intention to start to take new claims to universal credit from October 2013, and no new claims being made to tax credits from 2014. This remains our intention subject to further planning and will take place even if an employer is not yet providing HMRC with real-time earnings data.
Work Capability Assessment
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the cost of bringing in the Work Capability Assessment Regulations 2011 (S.I. No. 228, 2011). [49302]
Chris Grayling: The costs and savings associated with the revised work capability assessment (WCA) are set out in the impact assessment which accompanied the regulations, which can be accessed via the following link:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/wca-ia-eia.pdf
This shows there is a one-off cost of £9.2 million for implementing the revised WCA over three years. The majority of the costs lie with revising the Atos Healthcare IT software for inputting the medical assessments, and training Atos Healthcare professionals to implement the revised assessment. There will also be costs for revising the customer questionnaire in line with the proposals.
Ongoing costs and savings arise due to more people either being assessed to be in the support group or assessed as fit for work and receiving different benefit rates as a result. Details of these are outlined in annex 2 of the impact assessment.
Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to receive the next report from Professor Malcolm Harrington on the work capability assessment. [49413]
Chris Grayling: We expect to receive Professor Harrington's second independent review of the work capability assessment (WCA) before the end of 2011.
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We look forward to receiving his recommendations for further improvements to the assessment to ensure it is as fair and accurate as possible.
Ian Lavery: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the costs of implementing the Work Capability Assessment Regulations 2011 (S.I., 2011, No. 228) are reflected in his latest estimates of net savings from the implementation of his welfare reforms. [49697]
Chris Grayling: The costs and savings associated with the revised work capability assessment are outlined in the impact assessment which accompanied the regulations, which can be accessed via the following link:
http://www.dwp.gov.uk/docs/wca-ia-eia.pdf
These are included in all relevant Government forecasts.
Work Programme Contracts
Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether start dates for Work programme contracts will be staggered; and by what date he expects all such contracts to have commenced. [45132]
Chris Grayling: The start dates of Work programme contracts are expected in June.
We will extend support where a significant gap arises where contracts do not start in June.
Cabinet Office
Deaths
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the mortality rates per 10,000 were for (a) each region and (b) parliamentary constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. [48498]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated March 2011:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the mortality rates per 10,000 were for (a) each region and (b) parliamentary constituency in the latest period for which figures are available. (48498)
The table attached provides the age-standardised mortality rate per 10,000 population, for (a) English government office regions and Wales, and (b) parliamentary constituencies in England and Wales, for 2009 (the latest year available).
A copy of Table 1 has been placed in the House of Commons Library.
The numbers of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age and cause are published annually on the National Statistics website at:
http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=15096
Well-being
Chris Ruane: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what research into well-being his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated in the last five years. [48617]
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Mr Maude: The Cabinet Office has neither commissioned nor evaluated any research into well-being in the last five years. Following an invitation by the Prime Minister last November, the National Statistician is producing new measures of subjective well-being. The Cabinet Office is co-ordinating work across Government to consider how these measures might be applied to policy.
Transport
Aviation: International Cooperation
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the date is of the most recently bilateral aviation agreement between the UK and (a) Brazil, (b) the Russian Federation, (c) India, (d) China and (e) Indonesia. [45874]
Mrs Villiers: The dates of the most recently signed bilateral Air Services Agreements are as follows:
(a) 31 October 1946;
(b) 19 December 1957;
(c) 8 September 2005;
(d) 1 November 1979; and
(e) 28 June 1973.
Paul Maynard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what negotiations there have been between his Department and the Government of Japan on bilateral aviation agreements since May 1997; and what discussions Ministers and officials in his Department have had with their Japanese counterparts on the matter during visits to Japan since May 2010. [45993]
Mrs Villiers: There have been a number of rounds of air services negotiations with the Japanese since May 1997. The last round of formal talks between the two sides was held on 11-12 November 2008 in Tokyo.
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs explained in a speech in Tokyo in July 2010 that we stand ready to work with Japan to move ahead with a liberalisation of UK/Japan air services.
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the hon. Member for Taunton Deane (Mr Browne), Simon Fraser, Permanent Under-Secretary of State for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and Lord Howell also raised the issue with the Japanese Government during visits in September 2010, January 2011 and February 2011.
Aviation: Working Hours
Mr Marcus Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the likely effects on safety of the European Aviation Safety Agency’s proposals for reform of flight time limitations. [45451]
Mrs Villiers: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 7 February 2011, Official Report, column 51W, given to the hon. Member for Coventry South (Mr Cunningham).
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on flight timetables for pilots. [46053]
Mrs Villiers: I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 15 February 2011, Official Report, column 673W, given to the hon. Member for North Down (Lady Hermon).
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Compensation
Richard Fuller:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department and each (a) agency and (b) non-departmental public body for which he is responsible spent on compensation
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payments to members of the public for errors made by such bodies in each of the last five years. [47424]
Norman Baker: The figures for each part of the Department for Transport for which the Secretary of State is responsible are as follows:
| £ | ||||||
| Organisation | Status | 2010-11 | 2009-10 | 2008-09 | 2007-08 | 2006-05 |
| (1) Cannot be provided other than at disproportionate cost | ||||||
Cycle to Work Scheme
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many employees in his Department are participating in the Cycle to Work scheme. [49407]
Norman Baker: There are 302 employees in the Department currently participating in the Cycle to Work scheme. Cycle to work schemes operate in the central Department (DfT(c)) and four agencies.
| Organisation | Number of participants |
Departmental Food
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the proportion of the seafood procured for (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible that was (i) on the Marine Conservation Society’s list of fish to avoid and (ii) complied with sustainability standards indicated by inclusion in either the Marine Conservation Society’s list of fish to eat or by the list of fish species certified by the Marine Stewardship Council in (A) 2010 and (B) 2011 to date. [45039]
Norman Baker: The information requested is in the following table.
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Departmental Procurement
Mr Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost to the public purse was of the (a) procurement and (b) outsourcing function of (i) his Department and (ii) each (A) agency, (B) non-departmental public body and (C) non-ministerial department for which he is responsible in the last financial year for which figures are available. [43952]
Norman Baker: The last financial year for which figures are available for the cost of the procurement function is 2009-10. The information is that provided to the Cabinet Office annual Back Office benchmarking survey and is as follows:
| Organisation | Cost of the procurement function (£) |
| (1) No data. | |
Only organisations with a headcount of over 250 were within scope for benchmarking so the Vehicle Certification Agency is not included. The non-departmental public bodies were also not included.
Information on the cost of the procurement function in the bodies not included in the survey is not available.
The benchmarking exercise set its own parameters for what fell within the scope of cost of the function and these may vary from costs of the function collected for any other purpose.
The outsourcing function is covered by the procurement function; not as a discrete function.
The Cabinet Office has published procurement costs for all Government Departments for 2009-10 at:
http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/resource-library/back-office-benchmark-information-200910
European Aviation Safety Agency
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he has plans to meet officials of the European Aviation Safety Agency. [48038]
Mrs Villiers: I have no plans to meet officials from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). However, officials from the Department regularly meet officials from EASA, as do the Civil Aviation Authority.
Motor Vehicles: Insurance
Ms Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made in allowing insurers to gain access to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency drivers database. [49813]
Mike Penning: A number of workshops have been held with the insurance industry to identify the system requirements, the preferred solution and the costs to design, develop, test and implement the required solution.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency is now preparing the necessary business case to enable a full costing to be made and it will be shared with the insurance industry. The exact time scale for implementation will depend on the specific options chosen.
Transport: Finance
Mr Ruffley:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much funding his Department gave to the local transport authority in (a) Suffolk, (b) Bedfordshire, (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Essex, (e)
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Hertfordshire and
(f)
Norfolk (i) in total, (ii) per mile of road in the local authority area and (iii) per head of population in that area in each year since 1997. [49158]
Norman Baker:
Funding provided to the local transport authorities in Suffolk, Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire and Norfolk to support local transport is shown in the following tables. From 2000-01 this comprises the integrated transport block and highways maintenance capital blocks, funding for specific major projects, road safety projects, bus services and cycling
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and walking schemes, and a number of additional road maintenance funding streams. Prior to 2000-01 funding was provided in the form of ‘gross approved spending’.
Revenue expenditure on transport is generally supported through the Department for Communities and Local Government’s formula grant, and it is not possible to disaggregate this by service.
Funding for concessionary travel has not been included, since this is provided to the district councils in these areas, rather than the upper tier transport authorities.
| (i) In total | ||||||
| £ million | ||||||
| FY | Suffolk | Beds (1) | Cambs | Essex | Herts | Norfolk |
| (ii) Per mile of road | ||||||
| £000 | ||||||
| FY | Suffolk | Beds (1) | Cambs | Essex | Herts | Norfolk |
| (iii) Per head of population | ||||||
| £ total | ||||||
| FY | Suffolk | Beds (1) | Cambs | Essex | Herts | Norfolk |
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| (1) Figures for Bedfordshire relate to funding provided to Bedfordshire county council from 1997-98 to 2008-09, and funding provided to Bedford borough council and Central Bedfordshire council for 2009-10 and 2010-11. (2) Figures for 2010-11 do not include the fourth quarter payments of local authority major scheme funding. (3) Essex has received £28.5 million in 2010-11 for the A13/A130 Sadlers Farm Junction major scheme. | ||||||
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Emissions: Housing
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will establish a carbon timeline in respect of housing stock to plan and monitor carbon reduction targets. [49540]
Gregory Barker: The UK has signed up to legally-binding carbon budgets. A detailed breakdown of the Government’s actions and milestones for meeting the carbon budgets will be set out in a carbon plan, the draft of which has been made available on my Department’s website. This covers our expectations for the housing stock. The final, ‘live’ version of the carbon plan will be published in October 2011. Quarterly updates on progress against actions within the plan will be published on the No. 10 website thereafter.
Mr Bain: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will estimate the effects on domestic energy bills of the introduction of a carbon floor price of £16 per tonne of carbon dioxide emitted from 2013. [49882]
Gregory Barker: On 23 March 2011, the Government announced that, following consultation, a carbon price floor for electricity generation will be introduced from 1 April 2013. The carbon price floor will start at around £16 per tonne of carbon dioxide (tCO2) and follow a linear path to £30/tCO2 in 2020 (in real 2009 prices) to drive investment in the low-carbon power sector. The carbon price support rates for 2013-14 will be equivalent to £4.94/tCO2. Accompanying the announcement, HMRC published a tax information and impact note, available online at:
http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2011/tiin6111.pdf
Based on the market prices of fossil fuels and carbon, the economic determinants published at Budget, and assuming full pass through to the wholesale electricity price, average annual household electricity bills will increase by around 1% (£6 in real 2009 prices) in 2013 and around 4% (£17 in real 2009 prices) in 2016 compared to what they otherwise would have been. However, in the late 2020s electricity bills will be between 2-4% lower than would otherwise have been the case.
Departmental Manpower
Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many staff in his Department were in the Civil Service redeployment pool on the latest date for which figures are available; and how many of these had been in the redeployment pool for more than six months at that date. [44350]
Gregory Barker: As of 1 March 2011, there are five staff on the DECC redeployment register. All have been on the register for more than six months as of this date.
Energy: Carbon Emissions
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the recommendations of the Committee on Climate Change for electricity market reform to deliver a close to zero-carbon power sector by 2030; and what definition of close to zero-carbon his Department uses. [49364]
Gregory Barker: We are considering the advice from the Climate Change Committee and will respond to it as part of the October report on the policy and proposals to meet the fourth carbon budget, following Parliament's decision on setting the level of the fourth carbon budget in legislation.
The Electricity Market Reform White Paper will set out the mechanisms that the UK will use to deliver the decarbonisation of the electricity sector, in line with the fourth carbon budget.
Energy: Prices
David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with energy suppliers on price differentials for those with pre-payment meters; and if he will make a statement. [49557]
Charles Hendry: Energy tariffs are a matter for Ofgem, who have put in place rules to protect consumers on pricing, including licence condition changes to prevent unfair price differentials, such as those between different payment methods.
Ofgem has reported on the effectiveness of these changes and, as part of their Retail Market Review, found that prepayment meter (PPM) customers now pay, on average, £20 less than standard credit customers for their gas and electricity. They have also found that direct debit customers now pay, on average, £70 less than PPM for gas and electricity, which is within the £88 indicative cost difference between providing and servicing a PPM compared to a direct debit account, identified by Ofgem. A copy of the full Ofgem Retail Market Review—Findings and Proposals is available online at:
http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/Markets/RetMkts/rmr/Documents1/RMR_FINAL.pdf
We support Ofgem’s actions in tackling unjustified tariff premiums to ensure consumers do not lose out.
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Nuclear Fusion: Research
Graham Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the contribution to the economy of expenditure on research into cold fusion. [47817]
Mr Willetts: I have been asked to reply.
None. At present no funding has been awarded for research into cold fusion by bodies funded by this Department.
Nuclear Power Stations: Safety
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hartlepool (Mr Wright) of 18 March 2011, Official Report, column 757W, if he will direct the Chief Nuclear Inspector to seek evidence from experts (a) within and (b) outside the nuclear industry in preparing his report on the situation in Japan and the lessons to be learned; and if he will request the Chief Nuclear Inspector to hold in public any sessions held for the purpose of taking oral evidence. [49792]
Charles Hendry: The Secretary of State has asked UK Chief Nuclear Inspector Dr Mike Weightman to provide a report to the Government on the implications of the unprecedented events in Japan and the lessons to be learned for the UK nuclear industry.
He has asked for an interim report by mid-May 2011 and a final report within six months. The reports will be published in the public domain.
The Chief Nuclear Inspector’s reports will be independent, informed from a robust evidence base, comprehensive, wide in scope and based on the best technical advice available.
The report will be produced in close co-operation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), Japanese authorities, and other international regulators to carefully establish what lessons can be learned.
Renewable Energy
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the reliability of renewable energy generation; and if he will make a statement. [49074]
Gregory Barker: DECC publishes annually the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics (DUKES) which gives the installed capacity, generation and load factors for the main renewable energy technologies. The load factor provides a measure of the amount of electricity generated by each technology compared to the theoretical maximum output under ideal conditions. Table 7.4 of DUKES 2010 contains the installed capacity, generation and load factors for the key renewable energy technologies in 2009:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/source/renewables/renewables.aspx
The next edition of DUKES, which will contain the 2010 figures for renewable energy technologies, will be published on 28 July 2011.
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River Severn: Tidal Power
Alun Michael: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he made of the potential energy, economic and environmental effects of construction of a Severn barrage. [42528]
Charles Hendry: The conclusion of the Severn tidal power feasibility study was that the Government do not see a strategic case for public investment in a Severn tidal power scheme in the immediate term. However, the Government recognise that factors which will determine the feasibility of Severn tidal power could change over time, and the report contains potential triggers for a review, though it is not expected that a review will take place before 2015 at the earliest.
The outcome of the feasibility study does not preclude a privately financed scheme coming forward in the meantime.
Solar Power: Feed-in Tariffs
Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the answer of 4 March 2011, Official Report, column 704W, on solar power: feed-in tariffs, (a) for what reasons he does not collect and (b) if he will make it his policy to collect data on the revenue provided to the Exchequer from (i) tax and (ii) national insurance contributions attributable to the solar photovoltaic industry since the date of implementation of the feed-in tariff scheme. [46361]
Mr Gauke: I have been asked to reply.
Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs do not monitor tax and national insurance receipts for individual industries at this level of classification detail.
HMRC produce a breakdown of tax receipts by sector for pay-as-you-earn income tax and national insurance contributions, corporation tax and VAT. These breakdowns record receipts at broad industry level (based on the ONS standard industrial classification or HMRC standard trade classification). The solar photovoltaic industry is not identified as a separate industry within the classification frameworks.
Moreover receipts are recorded at company level (or scheme level for PAYE). If a company (or scheme) is engaged in a number of different activities it is not possible to split receipts between them and all receipts will tend to be allocated to its main activity. Receipts at detailed industry level are not therefore reliably measurable and are not published. This would apply to the solar photovoltaic industry even if the classification systems did identify this separately.
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on the provision of support for small-scale photovoltaic generators using feed-in tariffs to enter the below 10KW market; and if he will make a statement. [49465]
Gregory Barker:
The Government, working with industry, are developing a range of measures to support development of the microgeneration market, including the sub 10 kW solar photovoltaic sector. The Microgeneration Strategy consultation, which addresses the non-financial barriers
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affecting small scale renewables, closed on 16 March. We are now considering the responses and these will feed into a Microgeneration Strategy which will be published in early summer, setting out the steps that are required to address manufacturing, skills and supply chain issues for the full range of microgeneration technologies, available at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/consultations/microgen_strat/microgen_strat.aspx
Solar Power: Manufacturing Industries
Tessa Munt: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to support the development of the solar technology manufacturing sector. [49463]
Gregory Barker: The Microgeneration Strategy consultation addressed the non-financial barriers to the development of small scale renewables including solar. The consultation closed on 16 March. We are now considering the responses and these will feed into a Microgeneration Strategy which will be published in early summer, setting out the steps that are required to address manufacturing, skills and supply chain issues for the full range of microgeneration technologies.
Communities and Local Government
Community Development
Mr Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the evidential basis was for his assessment that the (a) community right to challenge and (b) community right to buy scheme would provide greater opportunities for community and voluntary groups to have a greater say over what happens in their local areas. [49102]
Andrew Stunell: Impact assessments for both the Community Right to Challenge and Community Right to Buy have been prepared and are available on the Department's website at:
http://www.communities.gov.uk/localgovernment/decentralisation/localismbill/
Council Housing: Birmingham
Ms Gisela Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the Audit Commission plans to publish the report of its strategic inspection of the housing stock of Birmingham City Council initiated in November 2009. [49645]
Robert Neill: This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission and I have asked the chief executive of the Audit Commission to write to the hon. Member direct.
Letter from Eugene Sullivan, dated 28 March 2011:
Your Parliamentary Question has been passed to me to reply.
I assume the Honourable Member means Birmingham City Council's housing landlord services inspection that the Audit Commission started in March 2010. I can confirm the inspection was commenced last year. However, the report is the subject of a review at the request of Birmingham City Council. We are working to finalise the report, but we have not set a date for publication.
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Council Tax Benefits: Pensioners
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether pensioner households will be subject to his Department's planned reduction to council tax benefit. [49678]
Robert Neill: In developing their plans for a new system for local council tax rebate schemes, the Government are clear that they are committed to retaining council tax support for the most vulnerable in society, in particular pensioners. A full consultation on the new system in England will be undertaken in due course.
Cycle to Work Scheme
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many employees of his Department are participating in the Cycle to Work scheme. [49406]
Robert Neill: As at 31 March 2011 32 employees will be participating in the Department’s Cycle to Work scheme. A total of 77 vouchers for bicycles and associated equipment have been issued since the scheme was launched in April 2009.
Departmental Redundancy
Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many civil servants in his Department have been offered voluntary redundancy since April 2010; and if he will make a statement. [49181]
Robert Neill: Since April 2010 the Department for Communities and Local Government has offered 33 staff “Voluntary Redundancy” as defined by the new Civil Service Compensation Scheme. It is too early to say how many staff will accept these offers. A further 154 staff have accepted “Voluntary Exit”. Prior to the commencement of the new terms, 134 staff left the Department on voluntary terms under the previous compensation scheme.
Housing: Carbon Emissions
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consultation his Department undertook with (a) environmental groups and (b) the construction industry prior to the announcement that new homes will not be required to be zero carbon. [49837]
Grant Shapps: From 2016, all new homes will be required to be zero carbon. What we are not going to do is to try to build in how many electrical appliances such as plasma TVs a homeowner may have. However, these appliances are already covered by other arrangements such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, so this will have no impact on the Government’s carbon reduction strategy. What this will do is minimise costs to house builders, helping them to deliver the new homes the country needs.
The Government do not usually consult on Budget related announcements. However, the Department has
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discussed the zero carbon policy, and the issues arising, with both environmental groups and the construction industry over a long period of lime through forums such as the 2016 task force, and through bodies such as the Zero Carbon Hub.
The Zero Carbon Hub has recently provided expert recommendations on the right minimum levels of carbon reductions to be required to be delivered on the site of the home itself. Both house builders and environmental groups were involved in the preparation of these recommendations.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment he has made of the effect of removing the requirement for new homes to be zero carbon on the Government's carbon dioxide reduction strategy; and if he will make a statement. [49881]
Grant Shapps: From 2016, all new homes will be required to be zero carbon. What we are not going to do is to try to build in how many electrical appliances such as plasma TVs a homeowner may have. However, these appliances are already covered by other arrangements such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, so this will have no impact on the Government's carbon reduction strategy.
The approach to the zero carbon standard announced in the Growth Review will not detract from the Government's carbon reduction strategy. Emissions from electrical appliances are being addressed through policies ranging from decarbonisation of the national grid and support for renewables to energy performance and labelling standards. Emissions from electrical appliances are also subject to the EU Emissions Trading Scheme arrangements. Given this, the approach on zero carbon homes will not change the UK's overall carbon budget obligations in respect of the sectors of the economy covered by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.
Housing: Owner Occupation
Mike Weatherley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether he has any plans to work in partnership with (a) the National House Building Council and (b) other organisations to provide consumer protection for new home owners. [49381]
Grant Shapps: We are already working with the National House Building Council and other warranty bodies to improve consumer protection for new home buyers. The Council and other bodies launched a Consumer Code for Home Builders in April 2010. These bodies will shortly be reviewing this Code in the light of the first year’s experience, and we will be working with them to consider further improvements.
Local Government: Broadcasting
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has received in respect of filming at public meetings of local councils. [49383]
Robert Neill:
My letter of 23 February 2011 to principal local authorities encouraging them to be more transparent
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by opening up their meetings to citizen journalists was prompted by a series of incidents, highlighted in the press and in social media, about people being ejected from council meetings for blogging, tweeting or filming, which I consider to be potentially at odds with the fundamentals of local democracy. I would reiterate my call to all councils to take a welcoming approach to those who want to bring local news stories to a wider audience. I have placed a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.
Local Government: Pay
Mr Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent representations he has (a) made to and (b) received from local authorities in respect of local authority staff salaries. [49078]
Robert Neill: The Government expect councils to show restraint when setting senior pay and the Secretary of State has called on those earning the largest salaries to take a voluntary pay cut—a reduction of 5% for those earning over £150,000 and a reduction of 10% for those earning over £200,000. He has also suggested that no new local authority chief executives should be recruited on a salary that exceeds the Prime Minister's current salary of £142,500. In addition, in October 2010, Ministers held a roundtable discussion with senior councillors and local authority representatives to discuss mechanisms for increasing accountability in the setting of senior pay in local government.
The Secretary of State receives representations from local authorities on a broad range of issues. Of course, the Government's role in specific local government pay issues is extremely limited as they are, rightly, a matter for the individual councils as the employer. Councils must make sure, however, that their decisions on pay and work force are fully in the interests of the communities they represent and give them the value for money they deserve.
The Department has also been consulting on proposed new transparency arrangements to increase public scrutiny of senior salaries in local government. A summary of the consultation responses will be published in due course.
Public Buildings: Voluntary Organisations
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if his Department will provide training for non-facility owning sports clubs to assist in the transfer of publically-owned facilities to community-owned facilities; and if he will make a statement. [49197]
Andrew Stunell: The Asset Transfer Unit, which is funded by the Department, has developed an interactive online asset transfer toolkit specifically aimed at sports clubs, as a result of a commission by Sport England. The toolkit will be launched in mid-April, and will provide a direct practical response to the growing demand for help from individual clubs, local authority sports and leisure departments, County Sports Partnerships and National Governing Bodies for individual sports. The Unit has also been involved in three linked county-wide training events, run by Sport England, as part of the same contracted programme.
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Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many successful community asset transfers there have been in each of the last six months; and which assets have been so transferred. [49198]
Andrew Stunell: The following assets have been transferred with direct support from the Asset Transfer Unit, through the Advancing Assets for Communities programme funded by the Department:
| Name of asset | Building type | Month |
The Department does not hold information on assets transferred by local authorities or other bodies, which have not been directly supported by a DCLG programme.
Sportsgrounds: Planning Permission
Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if he will assess the effects of local authority planning fees on the development of community sports facilities; and if he will make a statement. [49199]
Greg Clark: Research commissioned by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport into the regulatory burden on sport and recreation clubs was published this month. (‘Red Card to Red Tape—How sports clubs want to break free from bureaucracy’). This highlighted planning fees as one of the burdens, especially for applications that cover a large site area.
The Government recently consulted on proposals that would allow local authorities to set their own fees which recoup costs but do not exceed them.
We are also legislating for Neighbourhood Plans and Development Orders that will offer the opportunity to simplify the planning process where development is supported by the community and avoid the need for subsequent planning applications.
Written Questions: Government Responses
Ms Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when he plans to respond to question 44110, on the answer to question 35814, tabled on 1 March 2011 for answer on 3 March 2011. [49867]
Robert Neill: Question 44110 was answered on 24 March 2011, Official Report, column 1215W.
Zero Carbon Homes Task Force
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on how many occasions the Zero Carbon Homes Taskforce has met; what the (a) composition and (b) remit of the Taskforce is; what estimate he has made of the cost to the public purse of the Taskforce since May 2010; and if he will make a statement. [49878]
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Grant Shapps: From 2016, all new homes will be required to be zero carbon. What we are not going to do is to try to build in how many electrical appliances such as plasma TVs a homeowner may have. However, these appliances are already covered by other arrangements such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, so this will have no impact on the Government’s carbon reduction strategy. What this will do is minimise costs to house builders, helping them to deliver the new homes the country needs.
The 2016 task force is a senior-level body bringing together Government, industry and green groups to support development and implementation of the zero carbon homes policy. The task force meets approximately every six months and since 2007 has met 15 times. The task force is a voluntary body and the only costs incurred by the Department are for the administration support provided for meetings.
The 2016 task force is jointly-chaired by Stewart Baseley, Executive Chairman, Home Builders Federation and Richard McCarthy, Director General for Housing and Planning, Department for Communities and Local Government.
The purpose of the task force is to act as a sounding board by:
providing a forum for the exchange of information about the development of zero carbon homes policy and the views of DCLG’s key partners in delivering the policy; and
identifying barriers to implementation of the 2016 zero carbon homes policy and timeline, with a focus on energy supply, skills, capacity and supply chain issues, research and consumer attitudes, and propose measures to address them.
The task force meets approximately every six months.
Richard McCarthy—Director General, Housing and Planning, DCLG
Stewart Baseley—Executive Chairman, Home Builders Federation
John Slaughter—Director of External Affairs, Home Builders Federation.
Paul King—Chief Executive, UK Green Building Council
Michael Ankers—Chief Executive, Construction Products Association
David Green—Chief Executive, UK Business Council for Sustainable Energy
Martin Wheatley—Programme Director, Local Government Association
Colin Butfield—Head of Campaigns, WWFUK
Kate Henderson—Chief Executive, Town and Country Planning Association
Imtiaz Farookhi—Chief Executive, National House Building Council
Stephen Muers—Head of policy and performance, Homes and Communities Agency
Philip Selwood—Chief Executive, Energy Saving Trust
Neil Jefferson—Chief Executive, Zero Carbon Hub
David Adams—Director, Zero Carbon Hub
David Wagstaff—Head of Distributed Energy, DECC
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) discussions and (b) correspondence (i) he and (ii) Ministers in his Department had with members of the Zero Carbon Homes Taskforce prior to the announcement that new homes will no longer be required to be zero carbon. [49879]
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Grant Shapps: From 2016, all new homes will be required to be zero carbon. What we are not going to do is to try to build in how many electrical appliances such as plasma TVs a homeowner may have. However, these appliances are already covered by other arrangements such as the EU Emissions Trading Scheme, so this will have no impact on the Government’s carbon reduction strategy. What this will do is minimise costs to house builders, helping them to deliver the new homes the country needs.
The Government do not usually consult on Budget related announcements. However, DCLG Ministers have had a number of discussions and correspondence with members of the task force on the development and implementation of zero carbon policy.
Education
Academies: GCSE
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education (1) what proportion of year 11 academy pupils (a) in total and (b) in each academy were entered for (i) a history GCSE, (ii) a geography GCSE, (iii) a modern foreign language GCSE, (iv) a physics GCSE, (v) a chemistry GCSE, (vi) a biology GCSE, (vii) a science GCSE, (viii) an English GCSE, (ix) an English literature GCSE, (x) a mathematics GCSE, (xi) an OCR national level 2 qualification in information and communications technology and (xii) a diploma in digital applications in 2009-10; and how many in each category were entitled to free school meals; [44308]
(2) what proportion of year 11 academy pupils achieved at least (a) five A* to C GCSEs, not including any other qualification judged to be equivalent and (b) five A* to C GCSEs including English and mathematics but not including any other qualification judged equivalent to GCSEs for each academy in 2009-10; and how many such pupils were entitled to free school meals in each case. [44450]
Mr Gibb: Analysis of individual GCSE subject by grade, and the number of pupils achieving five GCSEs grade A* to C excluding equivalents for each school are due to be published on the 31 March 2011.
We will place this information in the House Libraries when it has been published.
Tristram Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what proportion of Key Stage Four exam entries was in academic non-applied GCSEs in each school replaced by an academy in the last year of the school’s existence; what the name of the academy was in each such case; and how many such students were in receipt of free school meals. [44451]
Mr Gibb: The information requested, for academies opened in 2010-11 is shown in the following table. Information for academies opened in earlier years can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
| Percentage of entries in academic non-applied GCSE subjects in schools replaced by an academy in the last year of the school’s existence for academies opened in 2010/11 and the number of those pupils who were eligible for free school meals, 2010 | ||
| Academy name | Percentage of GCSE entries | Number of FSM |
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| (1) Suppression due to small numbers. | ||