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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 20 March 2012
Wales
Income Tax
Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if she will estimate the number of taxpayers in each (a) region and (b) local authority area in Wales who will no longer be eligible to pay income tax following the increase in the personal allowance in April 2012; [100844]
(2) if she will estimate the number of taxpayers in each (a) region and (b) local authority area in Wales who will no longer be eligible to pay income once the income tax threshold is changed; [100845]
(3) if she will estimate the number of taxpayers in Wales who benefited from the increase in the personal allowance of income tax in 2011-12; and if she will estimate the likely number of taxpayers in Wales who will benefit from such an increase in 2012-13. [100846]
Mr David Jones: The June 2010 Budget announced a £1,000 cash increase in the personal allowance for under 65s to £7,475 in 2011-12 with the benefits focused on individuals on low and middle incomes through accompanying changes to the basic rate limit and national insurance upper earnings and profit limits.
As a result of these measures, the Government estimate that 1.07 million basic rate taxpayers in Wales benefited in 2011-12, with 41,000 of the lowest income taxpayers in Wales removed from income tax altogether.
The 2011 Budget announced a £630 cash increase in the personal allowance for under 65s to £8,105 in 2012-13, with an equivalent reduction in the basic rate limit to leave the higher rate threshold unchanged.
As a result of these measures, the Government estimate that 1.13 million basic rate taxpayers in Wales will benefit in 2012-13, of which 10,000 of the lowest income taxpayers in Wales will be removed from income tax altogether.
Reliable estimates are not available at the local authority level.
Remploy
Dr Francis: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions she has recently had with (a) the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and (b) the First Minister of the Welsh Government on measuring the effects of the decisions regarding the future of Remploy in Wales; and if she will make a statement. [100519]
Mr David Jones: The Secretary of State for Wales, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chesham and Amersham (Mrs Gillan) and I have discussed the future of Remploy factories in Wales with both Welsh Government Ministers and ministerial colleagues at the Department for Work and Pensions as the lead Department, particularly in light of the Sayce review recommendations last July.
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Northern Ireland
Employment
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what specific recommendations he has made to the Chancellor of the Exchequer about measures to support jobs and growth in Northern Ireland in Budget 2012; and if he will make a statement. [101087]
Mr Swire: It has been the practice of successive Governments to keep Budget discussions confidential.
Unemployment: Females
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on measures to tackle the level of female unemployment in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [101086]
Mr Swire: The Department for Finance and Personnel's Monthly Labour Market Report for March 2012 reports that the number of women in employment in Northern Ireland has increased by 4.5% over the year.
While these are primarily devolved matters for Ministers in the Northern Ireland Executive to take forward, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), and I have regular discussions with Treasury and Executive ministers on matters relating to unemployment and promoting jobs and growth in Northern Ireland.
Our proposals in respect of universal credit in Great Britain which I expect will largely be reflected in the Welfare Reform Bill which the Minister for Social Development will introduce shortly into the Northern Ireland Assembly, will significantly assist women in part-time work. The reforms will ensure that women keep more of the money they earn than currently is provided for under the social security system.
Welfare State
Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions he has had with the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland about welfare reform; and if he will make a statement. [101085]
Mr Swire: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), has discussed the nature and the benefits of welfare reform with a number of interested bodies and people in the course of his regular meetings.
He has also attended, and on occasion encouraged the organisation of, meetings specifically on welfare reform issues. For example, on 27 February he gave a speech on welfare reform and sat on a panel at the Politics Society of Queen's University, Belfast. On 29 February he spoke again about welfare reform at an event in Church House, Belfast organised by the Northern Ireland church leaders following a meeting he had with them. Travel difficulties on 6 March prevented him attending a panel discussion at a conference organised by the Northern Ireland Council for Voluntary Action which brought together among others representatives from the voluntary and community sector, but the office was represented and he received reports.
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Scotland
Income Tax: Rates and Bands
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of how many taxpayers in each local authority area in Scotland will no longer be eligible to pay income tax once the income tax threshold is set at £10,000. [101123]
David Mundell: The Government are committed to supporting lower and middle income earners by raising the personal allowance to £10,000, and removing the lowest income individuals out of income tax. Decisions on future changes in the personal allowance will be taken as part of the annual Budget process in the context of the wider public finances. It should be noted that reliable estimates are not available at the local authority level due to greater uncertainties in projections for small geographical areas and small sample sizes.
Sir Robert Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of how many taxpayers in each local authority area in Scotland will no longer be eligible to pay income tax following the increase in the personal allowance in April 2012. [101124]
David Mundell: The 2011 Budget announced a £630 cash increase in the personal allowance for under 65s to £8,105 in 2012-13 (£240 above indexation), with an equivalent reduction in the basic rate limit to leave the higher rate threshold unchanged.
Reliable estimates are not available at the local authority level, due to greater uncertainties in projections for small geographical areas and small sample sizes. However, estimates are available at Government office region which show that 2.19 million taxpayers in Scotland will benefit from these measures in 2012-13, among which 21,000 of the lowest income taxpayers will be removed from tax altogether.
Scottish Parliament: Elections
Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many ratepayers in Scotland are not eligible to vote in Scottish Parliamentary elections. [100400]
David Mundell: There is no connection between council tax payment and entitlement to register to vote in elections and therefore information on council tax payers who are not on the electoral register is not available.
Defence
Afghanistan
Mr Jim Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions armed forces personnel have purchased a commercial ticket to travel to Afghanistan since May 2010. [100359]
Nick Harvey
[holding answer 19 March 2012]:Afghanistan is a high-threat environment and there remains the potential for any aircraft to be attacked from the ground. To ensure the safety of our personnel we therefore have force protection measures in place,
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which include mandating travel into theatre on military aircraft equipped with a Defensive Aids Suite. This applies to all of the 9,500 armed forces personnel deployed to Afghanistan. Ministers have only approved one waiver to this policy when a senior British officer in Afghanistan needed to travel at short notice for consultations at NATO Headquarters in Brussels and military transport was impracticable. Personnel are not expected or permitted to make personal arrangements to travel by commercial air to theatre.
Afghanistan: Military Aid
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Afghan (a) police and (b) soldiers remain to be trained by NATO forces. [100260]
Nick Harvey: The NATO Training Mission—Afghanistan (NTM-A)—supports the International Security Assistance Force to ensure that the Afghan National Security Forces will be capable of providing security across Afghanistan by the end of 2014. The most recent figures from the NTM-A show that there are currently 145,000 in the Afghan National Police and 184,000 in the Afghan National Army. Both are on track to reach their October 2012 "surge" targets of 157,000 and 195,000 respectively.
In order to maintain these force levels the NTM-A will continue to train members of the Afghan National Security Forces beyond October 2012.
Mr Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely outcomes of Afghan soldiers and police replacing UK forces in patrols with back-up by UK forces. [100263]
Nick Harvey: In accordance with the transition process, agreed at the Lisbon summit, the NATO Training Mission—Afghanistan (NTM-A)—is providing training to the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to ensure that they are ready to assume full security responsibility across the country by the end of 2014. This process is on track and achievable.
We expect the ANSF to reach their approved strength of 352,000 by 31 October 2012. Real progress has been made by the UK and international forces since the NTM-A was established in 2009 in building the capability and capacity of the ANSF. With the second of five transition tranches now implemented, roughly half of the population already live in areas where the Afghans have lead security responsibility.
Canada
Mr Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) whether the Canadian Government have asked for compensation with regard to the submarines purchased in 1998; [99868]
(2) whether the Canadian armed forces have asked for assistance with regard to submarines purchased in 1998. [99869]
Peter Luff: The records providing detailed background to this topic are stored in archives and need to be retrieved in order to provide a full answer to the hon. Member. I will write to the hon. Member in due course.
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Departmental Staff
Stephen Barclay: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many staff in his Department work for the Defence Disposals Services Agency; and how many such staff left as part of the early release or early retirement schemes in each of the last three years; [100593]
(2) how many consultants work at the Defence Disposals Services Agency under the Framework Agreement for Technical Support; and what proportion of these previously worked as staff of his Department or members of the armed forces. [100596]
Peter Luff [holding answer 19 March 2012]: The number of staff employed by the Disposal Services Authority (DSA) and the number of staff that have left the DSA under Ministry of Defence Early Release Schemes in each of the last three full calendar years is contained in the following table:
| As at 1 April 2012 | Number of military and civilian staff | Number of civilian staff released (1,2) |
| (1) No military staff have been released. (2) Between 1 January and 31 March 2012 a further six civilian staff will have left. | ||
An occasion has not yet arisen that has required DSA to procure external technical support. Therefore the Framework Agreement for Technical Support (FATS) has not been used for DSA purposes.
McKinsey and Company
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department paid to McKinsey and Company in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and if he will make a statement. [100582]
Peter Luff: No payments have been made to McKinsey and Company, either in 2010-11 or in 2011-12 to date.
Nuclear Weapons: Safety
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration was given by his Department's Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator, Technical Advisory Panel and Defence Nuclear, Environment and Safety Board to the nuclear safety recommendations made by the Office for Nuclear Regulation report on the implications for the UK of the accident at the Fukushima nuclear plant in March 2011; what costs have been incurred to date on any remedial action taken; and what consideration has been given by his Department to conducting stress tests on military nuclear facilities such as those undertaken by civilian nuclear operators. [99728]
Peter Luff:
The Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator continues to work closely with the Office for Nuclear Regulation on the implications of the Fukushima accident and is aware of their recommendations published in September 2011. No costs have been incurred on remedial action. On the matter of stress tests, I refer the hon.
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Member to the answer I gave on 2 November 2011,
Official Report,
column 661W, to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson).
The Defence Nuclear Environment and Safety Board has been superseded by different structures resulting from the formation in February 2012 of the Defence Safety and Environment Authority of which the Defence Nuclear Safety Regulator is part.
Remploy
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has procured any goods from Remploy factories; and what the value of such procurement was. [99992]
Peter Luff: Since May 2010, the Ministry of Defence has placed three contracts with Remploy valued at a potential total of just over £600,000 for clothing, personal protective equipment and weapon racking.
Additionally, contractual payments of approximately £400,000 have been made to Remploy for a number of miscellaneous services, including the provision of vocational assessments of wounded, injured and sick service personnel as part of their individual recovery plans.
Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with Remploy on the procurement of goods. [99993]
Peter Luff: The Ministry of Defence routinely holds discussions with suppliers about ongoing and potential procurements. I personally met with representatives of Remploy on 15 November 2011 and discussed a number of possible business opportunities for the company.
Type 26 Frigates
Mr Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to incorporate the sea viper missile system and the SAMPSON multi-function air tracking radar into the Type 26 global combat ships. [100499]
Peter Luff [holding answer 19 March 2012]:The T26 GCS programme is in its assessment phase and no decisions about which equipments will be fitted to the ships will be finalised until the completion of this phase when the main investment decision takes place. This is currently scheduled for the middle of the decade.
Unmanned Air Vehicles
Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Watchkeeper Unmanned Aircraft System will achieve its release to service; and what its in-service date is. [100781]
Peter Luff: Watchkeeper will be the first Unmanned Air System to secure all the necessary airworthiness certification to fly in both a civil and a military environment and this process is taking longer than anticipated. Work continues and, until this is complete, it would be speculative to provide a forecast as to when Watchkeeper will achieve release to service or its in-service date.
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Deputy Prime Minister
Devolution
10 Stephen Metcalfe: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he expects the Commission on the consequences of devolution for the House of Commons to report. [100631]
Mr Harper: The Commission is due to report during the next parliamentary Session.
Details of the Commission's work can be found on their website at:
http://tmc.independent.gov.uk
Political Party Funding
11. John Pugh: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent progress he has made on reform of party funding. [100632]
Mr Harper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Deputy Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Kingston upon Hull North (Diana Johnson) today.
Succession to the Throne
12 Keith Vaz: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he has made on changing the law on succession to the throne. [100633]
Mr Harper: The Government have announced that, with the agreement of the 15 other realms of which Her Majesty is also Head of State, we will remove the system under which a younger son may displace an elder daughter in the line of succession, remove the penalties for marrying a Roman Catholic and reduce the ambit of the Royal Marriages Act. Work to secure the consent of the other Commonwealth realms to the introduction of UK primary legislation to give effect to these changes is being co-ordinated by the New Zealand Government, with whom we are working very closely. The right hon. Member may wish to note that the change on gender will apply to a child born after the date of the Perth announcement (28 October 2011), even if the birth is before the legislation is passed.
Members of Parliament (Recall)
13 Sarah Newton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has received on a power for constituents to recall their Member of Parliament. [100634]
Mr Harper: The Government have received more than 50 representations since the publication of their White Paper and draft Bill on recall of MPs on 13 December 2011.
War Powers
15 Mr Leech: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent discussions he has had on the introduction of a Bill on war powers. [100636]
Mr Harper: As is usual in the formulation of Government policy, I have had discussion with ministerial colleagues, advisers and civil servants.
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Culture, Media and Sport
Betting: Dormant Accounts
Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport whether he has considered claiming the funds held by betting companies in the form of unclaimed winnings and dormant betting accounts for investment in grassroots sports; and if he will make a statement. [100407]
John Penrose [holding answer 19 March 2012]: In his report on the use of funds in dormant betting accounts and unclaimed winnings, the right hon. Member for Bath (Mr Foster) does not make a recommendation on the potential recipient of any money from unclaimed winnings or dormant betting accounts, although he does state his view that sports facilities and sports clubs are the most suitable direction. The Government will consider all of the recommendations in his report once we have legislated for our proposals for remote gambling.
Broadband
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of the effects of the Mobile Infrastructure Project on expanding mobile broadband coverage to hot-spot areas. [101119]
Mr Vaizey: Increasing the coverage and quality of mobile connectivity will help to support business growth, extend access to key public services and bring an improvement in the mobile customer experience more widely across many parts of the UK. The Mobile Infrastructure Project is working to address premises and roads with no mobile coverage across the UK. We have almost completed the process of identifying the worst affected areas and roads and the Department is working closely with industry to develop plans for those areas being identified.
Broadband: Cardiff
Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what the latest progress is on Cardiff being approved as a superfast city under the Government's urban broadband fund. [100003]
Mr Vaizey: In the 29 autumn statement of 29 November 2011, Official Report, columns 799-810, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the setting-up of the £100 million Urban Broadband Fund. The four national capitals will receive money from the Fund and up to a further six cities will be selected for funding by competition. All eligible cities, including the capitals, had to submit detailed proposals by 13 February to enable the Chancellor of the Exchequer to decide the allocations, which will be announced in the Budget. The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), is pleased to say that a proposal was received from Cardiff and he will be writing to the Chancellor of the Exchequer this week with his recommendations for funding for 10 cities.
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Electronic Government
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the potential of smart city technology; and whether any trials are planned by his Department. [101100]
Mr Vaizey: The Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), has followed with interest the development of smart cities technology, including the initiatives by other Departments: BIS committed to a £25 million demonstrator in the 29 November 2011 autumn statement, Official Report, columns 799-810; and the Cities Policy Unit in Cabinet Office is working with a number of cities who have an interest in this and who are engaging their private sector and local partners to help develop Smart City proposals. In view of these developments, no trials by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport are currently planned.
Lifeguards: Registration
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what information his Department holds on when Skills Active plans to establish and launch a register of aquatics professionals. [100255]
Hugh Robertson: The timeframe for launching a Register of Aquatic Professionals (RAPs) is yet to be confirmed. This is likely to be late 2012 at the earliest.
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what information his Department holds on which stakeholders will sit on Skills Active's governing council to assist in developing the proposed register of aquatics professionals. [100256]
Hugh Robertson: As part of the consultation process SkillsActive is currently scoping which organisations wilt constitute the governance group of the Register of Aquatic Professionals (RAPs).
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to develop common units as the basis for admission to the proposed register of aquatics professionals; and which pre-existing qualifications and awards will be accepted. [100257]
Hugh Robertson: The registration requirements for aquatics professionals will emerge out of the current consultation process.
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport which stakeholders will be consulted when developing the common units to be used as the basis for the new register of aquatics professionals managed by Skills Active. [100258]
Hugh Robertson:
SkillsActive will consult all relevant organisations in the development of common units. This will include employers (eg leisure operators), awarding organisations and partners (eg the Royal Lifesaving Society and Institute of Qualification Lifeguards (RLSS/
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IQL), Swimming Teachers Association (STA), Amateur Swimming Association (ASA) and the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMPSA)).
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what information his Department holds on Skills Active's intention to establish a register of aquatics professionals. [100259]
Hugh Robertson: SkillsActive is currently scoping the potential of creating a new independent Register of Aquatic Professionals (RAPs).
Olympic Games 2012
Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the London 2012 Organising Committee's provision of information regarding the sale of tickets for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. [100438]
Hugh Robertson: Ticketing is a matter for the London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG), which is a private company operating independently of Government. LOCOG has provided a wide range of information about the sale of London 2012 tickets, publishing the full competition schedule and pricing information well in advance of sales, followed by Olympic and Paralympic ticketing guides in hard copy and online giving details for over 1,000 sessions of sport.
LOCOG has now sold around 7 million tickets to the games, with around 4 million left to sell. From next month, the final sales process will begin and I agree with LOCOG's decision that the best time to publish a comprehensive breakdown of tickets sold will be after this is completed.
Radio Frequencies
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what his policy is on using the white spaces in television spectrum for other uses; and what assessment has been made of the potential to use 600 MHz spectrum as white space spectrum. [101099]
Mr Vaizey: The matter raised is an operational one for the independent regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom), which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Ofcom have advised the following information:
Ofcom is currently working with stakeholders in industry and Government to develop a framework under which white space devices could be used within television spectrum. Ofcom will be considering the potential use of white space devices in the 600 MHz band following a forthcoming strategy consultation on related bands.
Telecommunications
Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the availability of (a) 3G and (b) 4G telecommunications in (i) East Cleveland, (ii) the Tees Valley, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK. [100154]
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Mr Vaizey: In November 2011, Ofcom published data describing the coverage of 2G and 3G networks across the UK in its report to the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt), on the UK's communications infrastructure.
These data were reported at the level of counties and unitary authorities and the 3G coverage of the areas in the North East and the UK is listed in the following table. Ofcom assessed the coverage of these regions depending on whether there were reliable 2G and 3G signals from one or all operators. Further information about coverage in other parts of the UK, including maps and data tables, is available on Ofcom's website at:
http://maps.ofcom.org.uk/mobile/index.html
| County/unitary authority | 3G geographic coverage (from at least one operator) (%) | 3G premises coverage (from at least one operator) (%) |
I have made no assessment of the availability of 4G services at national or regional level as no commercial services have yet been deployed in the UK. Rollout will follow Ofcom's award of the spectrum, expected to commence at the end of this year. Ofcom also recently proposed to accept a request to vary Everything Everywhere's 1800 MHz spectrum licences to allow use of Long Term Evolution and WiMAX technologies which can be used to deliver 4G mobile services.
Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport what plans he has to review the Electronic Communications Code. [101120]
Mr Vaizey: The Law Commission started work on an independent review of the Electronic Communications Code in September 2011. They expect to publish a consultation paper in late June 2012, and a report, together with recommendations to Government, will be published in spring 2013.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
British Indian Ocean Territory
Jeremy Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 February 2012, Official Report, column 525W, on British Indian Ocean Territory, for
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what reasons the Freedom of Information Act and the Environmental Information Regulations do not apply to the British Indian Overseas Territory administration. [100810]
Mr Lidington: The territorial extent of the Freedom of Information Act is limited to the relevant parts of the United Kingdom, and therefore it does not apply to any British Overseas Territory. The Environmental Information Regulations 2004, which implement EU legislation not applicable to British Indian Overseas Territory (BIOT), also do not apply to BIOT.
Cluster Munitions
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage other nations to sign up to the Convention on Cluster Munitions. [100532]
Alistair Burt: The Government remain fully committed to seeking a global ban on cluster munitions. We are greatly encouraged that 111 countries have already joined the Convention on Cluster Munitions (CCM). We continue to promote the universalisation of the CCM at relevant bilateral and multilateral meetings. In October 2011, the UK, in partnership with non-governmental organisations and the International Committee of the Red Cross, hosted a workshop for Commonwealth countries, which was opened by the Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Lord Howell of Guildford. We will continue to seek opportunities to promote the Convention to non-signatories.
Council of Europe
Naomi Long: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made on combating discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity through the Council of Europe since November 2011. [100836]
Mr Jeremy Browne: In January the Council of Europe (CoE) established a Committee on Equal Opportunities and Non Discrimination. This new Committee has a remit to progress broader equality issues, including Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGB&T) rights. The CoE Secretariat has also, with the benefit of voluntary contributions, been able to establish a unit to promote LGB&T rights with certain partner countries. To further this work the UK will host a conference in Strasbourg on 27 March to promote CoE recommendations on combating discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation or gender identity.
Israel
Rushanara Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions (a) he, (b) his Ministers and (c) officials in his Department have had with their Israeli counterparts on the denial of entry into Israel and the deportation from Israel of UK citizens. [100797]
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Alistair Burt: The Government extend consular assistance to British nationals whenever appropriate.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not make general representations on another country's immigration policies or procedures. Israeli immigration officials are under no obligation to explain their decisions to us and, as mentioned in our travel advice, they have the right to refuse entry to anyone they wish. The UK's immigration authority is similarly protected.
If British nationals plan to travel to Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories, we advise them to read through the travel advice on the FCO's website available at the follow link:
http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travel-and-living-abroad/travel-advice-by-country/middle-east-north-africa/israel-occupied
Those travelling to the Occupied Palestinian Territories may also obtain further information from the British consulate-general in Jerusalem before travel.
Morocco: Algeria
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his counterparts from other permanent members of the UN Security Council on ensuring that the UN takes steps to help Morocco and Algeria improve relations and open their borders to allow greater movement of people and goods. [100689]
Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), discussed regional co-operation in the Maghreb, including relations between Algeria and Morocco during his visit to New York on 12 March. The UK Permanent Representative to the UN also discussed the situation in the region during the visit of Moroccan Foreign Minister, Saad Eddine El Othmani, to the Security Council earlier this month.
I discussed the positive shift in the relationship between Algeria anal Morocco with the Algerian Minister for the Maghreb and Africa, Abdelkader Messahel, when I met him for the annual UK-Algeria high level talks on 8 March. I have also discussed the issue of regional co-operation with other Maghreb countries, including during my recent visit to Tunisia on 13-14 March.
We welcome the exchange of ministerial visits between Morocco and Algeria and their commitment to work together to improve relations. We look forward to a revitalised role for the Arab Maghreb Union. A better integrated Maghreb would have clear economic and security benefits for the countries of the region.
Nuclear Weapons
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Prime Minister had discussions with President Obama on the reduction of current nuclear arsenals during his recent visit to the US. [100717]
Alistair Burt: The reduction of current nuclear arsenals was not on the agenda for the recent US visit.
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Ottawa Convention
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to encourage nations to sign up to the Ottawa Treaty. [100533]
Alistair Burt: The Government remain fully committed to seeking a global ban on anti-personnel mines. We were greatly encouraged by Finland’s accession to the Ottawa Convention earlier this year. The Convention now has 159 signatories. We will continue to promote the universalisation of the Ottawa Treaty at relevant bilateral and multilateral meetings.
Sri Lanka
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on support for a UN Human Rights Council resolution on the implementation of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission Report in Sri Lanka; and what reports he has received on consultation with the Government of Sri Lanka on implementation of the recommendations in the report. [100933]
Alistair Burt: The UK supports the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka and we are urging other countries to support it.
The Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC), which was appointed by the Sri Lankan Government to examine events relating to the civil war from 2002 to 2009, published its report on 16 December. We believe the report contains many constructive recommendations for action on post-conflict reconciliation and a political settlement. But we were disappointed by the findings and recommendations on accountability. We encourage the Sri Lankan Government to move quickly to implement the LLRC report's recommendations and to address questions of accountability for alleged war crimes that were left unanswered by it.
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last met representatives of the Government of Sri Lanka. [100934]
Alistair Burt: I met the Sri Lankan high commissioner in London on 22 February.
Our high commissioner in Colombo met with the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister on 15 March.
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on representations made by the US administration to other governments on the support of the government of Sri Lanka for a resolution on implementation of the recommendations in the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission Report. [100935]
Alistair Burt:
The UK supports the UN Human Rights Council resolution tabled by the US and we are urging other countries to support it. The Government of Sri Lanka have made clear that they oppose the
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resolution. The US, the UK and others have encouraged the Government of Sri Lanka to accept international support in its pursuit of peace and reconciliation.
Ian Paisley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to assist Sri Lanka in the reconciliation process. [100936]
Alistair Burt: The British Government believe that reconciliation and lasting peace in Sri Lanka can best be achieved through an inclusive political solution that addresses the underlying causes of the conflict and takes into account the legitimate grievances and aspirations of all Sri Lanka's communities. We have urged the Sri Lankan Government to implement the recommendations contained in their Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission's report.
We support the UN Human Rights Council resolution on Sri Lanka and we are urging other countries to support it.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the International Criminal Court on arrest warrants for people accused of war crimes in Sri Lanka; and if he will make a statement. [101194]
Alistair Burt: There have been no recent discussions with representatives of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is not party to the Rome Statute, so the ICC has no jurisdiction to investigate the situation in that country. The ICC could only exercise jurisdiction if the situation is referred to it by a UN Security Council Resolution, or if Sri Lanka accepts the Court's jurisdiction.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on allegations of war crimes committed during the recent conflict in Sri Lanka; if he will assess whether human rights abuses are taking place in that country; and if he will make a statement. [101211]
Alistair Burt: The UN Secretary General's Panel of Experts Report, which was published in April 2011, found credible allegations, which if proven, indicate that a wide range of serious violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law was committed by both the Government of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. That is why we support an independent, thorough and credible investigation into the grave allegations. We were disappointed by the findings and recommendations on accountability for alleged war crimes in the Sri Lankan Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission's report which was published in December 2011, though we believe it made other recommendations that the Government of Sri Lanka should implement.
We have serious concerns about human rights in Sri Lanka, including disappearances, political violence, reports of torture in custody and restrictions on free expression. Sri Lanka is a Country of Concern in our annual Human Rights and Democracy Report. We continue to raise our concerns directly with the
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Government of Sri Lanka and call upon it to investigate reports of human rights abuses wherever they occur.
Tunisia
Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what (a) discussions he has had with and (b) representations he has made to his Saudi Arabian counterpart on the necessity for Saudi authorities to return former President Ben Ali to Tunisia to face outstanding charges against him. [100928]
Alistair Burt: I have not discussed former Tunisian president, Ben Ali, with my Saudi Arabian counterpart with a view to seeking his return to Tunisia.
Western Sahara
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 29 February 2012, Official Report, column 399W, on Western Sahara, when Farida Shaheed visited Western Sahara; how long her visit lasted; and when he expects her to publish a report of her visit. [100171]
Alistair Burt: The UN Independent Expert in the field of cultural rights, Farida Shaheed visited Morocco and Western Sahara for 12 days in total, from 5 to 16 September 2011. We do not have information about how much time she spent in each location. We expect her final report to be published and examined by the Human Rights Council in June 2012. A report detailing her preliminary conclusions and observations from the visit can be found on the website of the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights at the UN by following the link:
http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=l1396&LangID=E
Attorney-General
European Convention on Human Rights
10. Charlie Elphicke: To ask the Attorney-General what recent estimate he has made of the number of legal proceedings concerning the European Convention on Human Rights which affect the UK. [100662]
The Attorney-General: We currently have 90 pending cases which have been communicated to the UK from the European Court of Human Rights (with 5 cases communicated so far in 2012). The vast majority of applications against the UK are not communicated to us and struck out by the Court directly—they were approximately 3,800 pending applications against the UK (out of a total of 152,200) on 31 January 2012.
Racially Aggravated Offences
Chris Williamson: To ask the Attorney-General what criteria the Crown Prosecution Service uses to determine the level of evidence required to proceed with a prosecution in a case of racially aggravated crime. [101065]
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The Solicitor-General: Cases involving offences of racially or religiously aggravated crime referred to the CPS by the police are reviewed in accordance with the Code for Crown Prosecutors (the Code) and in line with the CPS Policy and Guidance on Prosecuting Cases of Racist and Religious Crime. If a case passes the evidential stage in the Full Code Test which is set out in the Code, the CPS goes on to consider whether the public interest is in favour of prosecution.
Energy and Climate Change
British Overseas Territories
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 14 September 2011, Official Report, column 48WS, on the Overseas Territories Strategy, if he will publish the paper his Department prepared on how it intends to recognise its responsibility to engage with the British Overseas Territories. [100555]
Gregory Barker: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office plan to publish a White Paper setting out the Government's overall approach to the Overseas Territories shortly.
In advance of this, we will publish online a paper on DECC's proposed engagement with the British Overseas Territories. I will, on the same day, deposit a copy of the paper in the Libraries of the House.
Carbon Sequestration
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of carbon capture and storage transport and storage infrastructure in the UK. [99595]
Charles Hendry: The Energy Technologies Institute, which is part funded by Government, has completed a £4 million study of UK offshore storage sites for carbon dioxide. The study will be published later this year and is the most detailed assessment produced to date.
The development of the infrastructure needed to transport and store carbon dioxide is one of the key challenges identified by the CCS roadmap that we will publish shortly. The roadmap will be published alongside a streamlined selection process for future CCS projects in the coming weeks.
Electricity
Dr Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether he has made a decision on the identity of the counterparty to proposed contracts for difference in his electricity market reform proposals. [100427]
Charles Hendry: We are assessing a range of options for the legal structure of the CfD and the payment model, both of which define the counterparty for the CfD. We are working closely with industry to arrive at an effective and practical solution for all parties. Details on our preferred payment model will be published in the draft Operational Framework for the CfD in late spring.
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Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the total level of electricity consumption was in the UK for each year since 2005. [101043]
Charles Hendry: The following table shows the total electricity demand from 2005 to 2010, the latest year for which this information is available.
| Total demand (TWh) | |
The data are available in Table 5.1 of Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 2011, which can be downloaded from the DECC website at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/energy_stats/source/electricity/electricity.aspx
Electricity: Meters
Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what criteria his Department is using to determine the technologies eligible for use in smart meters. [101098]
Charles Hendry: DECC has undertaken extensive consultation with energy companies, meter manufacturers and others to develop specifications for smart meters. This work has included examination of existing solutions and emerging EU standards. Prior to mass roll-out, energy suppliers will use the foundation period to build up experience and learning and during this period it is expected that many currently available meters will comply with DECC's specifications. For mass roll-out it is probable that further product development will be required by meter manufacturers.
Energy Ombudsman
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) how many complaints were made to the Energy Ombudsman in respect of each of the participating companies in (a) 2008, (b) 2009, (c) 2010 and (d) 2011; [100468]
(2) how many complaints to the Energy Ombudsman (a) were upheld, (b) were rejected, (c) resulted in a financial award, (d) resulted in an apology or explanation and (e) resulted in other practical action in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) 2011. [100473]
Charles Hendry: The Ombudsman Service publishes data on energy complaints they have received in their Annual Energy Reports. In 2009-10, the ombudsman investigated 6,419 complaints, of which 73% resulted in a financial reward with most also receiving an apology or explanation. In 2010-11, the ombudsman investigated 5,812 complaints, of which 69% resulted in a financial reward with most also receiving an apology or explanation.
Data for 2008 is included in 2009, as the Ombudsman Service was established as an approved statutory redress scheme in October 2008.
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Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Energy Ombudsman. [100470]
Charles Hendry: The Ombudsman Service is a statutory redress scheme approved by Ofgem under the Consumer, Estate Agents and Redress Act 2007. The Ombudsman has the power to require the regulated energy provider to pay compensation to its customers, and recommend changes to the provider's existing practices and procedures.
Since the Ombudsman was established in October 2008, it has investigated over 12,000 complaints from domestic and business customers. The Ombudsman can only accept a complaint after the customer has take up the matter with their energy provider who then failed to resolve the dispute and provides an important course of redress for consumers.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his policy is on non-domestic customers seeking redress through the Energy Ombudsman. [100490]
Charles Hendry: Since 1 October 2008, gas and electricity small non-domestic customers—those who consume less than 200,000 kWh gas per year or 55,000 kWh electricity per year, or have a turnover/balance sheet of less than €2 million, or fewer than 10 full time employees—can ask the Ombudsman Service to investigate their complaints if their energy providers are unable to resolve the disputes. Previous to Ombudsman, small businesses had no recourse to redress arrangements.
Larger businesses can address any issues through the legal system, as they would with disputes with suppliers of other goods and services.
Energy: Billing
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the number of (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic customers in debt to their energy supplier in (i) 2011, (ii) 2010, (iii) 2009, (iv) 2008, (v) 2007, (vi) 2006 and (vii) 2005. [100526]
Charles Hendry: Ofgem monitors and publishes information about domestic customers repaying debt for their gas and electricity supplies (in its Social Obligations Annual Reports). Ofgem does not publish data on non-domestic customers repaying debt. The following table shows the number of domestic customers repaying debt at the end of the year from 2005 to 2010. Data for 2011 are not yet available.
| million | ||
| Electricity | Gas | |
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Energy: Carbon Emissions
Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the level of carbon dioxide emissions in tonnes per gigawatt hour of energy generated in 2011 from (a) coal, (b) oil, (c) gas, (d) fossil fuels and (e) all fuels including nuclear and renewable. [100982]
Gregory Barker: No estimates for 2011 have yet been made. Initial estimates will be made in the 2012 edition of the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES), which will be published on 26 July.
The latest data are for 2010 and are shown in the following table (this data has been sourced from Table 5A of DUKES 2011).
| Fuel | Tonnes of CO 2 per GWh electricity supplied |
Energy: Meters
Sir Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to ensure that no breaches of personal privacy or abuse of data arise from the installation and use of domestic smart meters; and if he will make a statement. [100268]
Charles Hendry: The Government are following international best practice in undertaking ‘Privacy by Design’, meaning that privacy issues are considered and embedded into the design of the smart metering programme from the start.
The Government are clear that consumers should have a choice about how their smart metering data are used, and by whom, apart from where data are required to fulfil regulated duties. To understand the full range of potential concerns the Government have engaged with key groups such as Consumer Focus, Ofgem, the Information Commissioner's Office and suppliers.
The Government will be publishing a consultation document on detailed proposals for smart metering data access and privacy shortly.
Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects (a) the smart metering home area network tests to be undertaken and (b) the conclusions of those tests to be published. [100421]
Charles Hendry: The smart metering home area networking (HAN) trials are being undertaken currently. The results of the trials will be used as evidence to support the evaluation of HAN standards. Proposals on the Government's policy on future HAN standards are expected to be published in a consultation on the Smart Metering Equipment Technical Specifications, over the summer.
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Neil Parish: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether his Department has examined smart metering solutions currently available as models to be able to meet the majority of its smart meter roll-out programme objectives. [100671]
Charles Hendry: DECC has undertaken extensive consultation with energy companies, meter manufacturers and others to develop specifications for smart meters. This work has included examination of existing solutions and emerging EU standards. Prior to mass roll-out, energy suppliers will use the foundation period to build up experience and learning and during this period it is expected that many currently available meters will comply with DECC's specifications. For mass roll-out it is probable that further product development will be required by meter manufacturers.
EU Emissions Trading Scheme
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the effect of the EU Emissions Trading System on domestic energy bills; and by what means he carried out such an assessment. [101288]
Gregory Barker: In November 2011, DECC estimated that the EU Allowance (carbon) price added approximately £23 or 2% (real 2010 prices) to an average household energy bill in 2011 before other energy and climate change policies. Available online at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/aes/impacts/impacts.aspx
This estimate was based on the impact of the carbon price on wholesale electricity prices by multiplying the then central carbon price projection for 2011 by an assumed marginal emission factor for electricity and adding VAT. This is consistent with assuming full cost pass through of the EUA price faced by the marginal electricity generator (assumed to be gas) to end use electricity consumers regardless of whether allowances are allocated free of charge to generators or are purchased from auctions or the secondary carbon market. The assumptions used to arrive at this estimate are available online at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/ec_social_res/iag_guidance/iag_guidance.aspx
Green Deal Scheme
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department plans to publish its response to the Green Deal consultation. [101125]
Gregory Barker: We still expect, subject to Parliament, to have Green Deal legislation on the statute book by the summer recess so that the legal framework is there to underpin the Green Deal in October. To this end, we currently expect to publish the Government's response in June 2012.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change where the call centres for the Green Deal Helpline will be based. [101204]
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Gregory Barker: DECC is setting up a helpline which will provide advice to customers on how they can reduce their fuel bills and carbon emissions, including how they can benefit from the Green Deal. The service will be based at Careline Services' contact centre in Chiswick, west London.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change who the administrator of the Green Deal helpline will be. [101205]
Gregory Barker: DECC is setting up a helpline which will provide advice to customers on how they can reduce their fuel bills and carbon emissions, including how they can benefit from the Green Deal. Following a competitive procurement process, the contract has been awarded to the Energy Saving Trust in partnership with Careline Services.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he expects the Green Deal Helpline to enter service. [101206]
Gregory Barker: DECC is setting up a helpline which will provide advice to customers on how they can reduce their fuel bills and carbon emissions, including how they can benefit from the Green Deal. The service will go live on 2 April 2012.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what estimate he has made of the cost of the Green Deal Helpline; and how that cost will be met. [101207]
Gregory Barker: DECC is setting up a helpline which will provide advice to customers on how they can reduce their fuel bills and carbon emissions, including how they can benefit from the Green Deal. The maximum value of this contract is £13,003,961 over three years; however the cost of the contract could be significantly lower depending on call volumes. This will be funded through DECC's budget.
Information Commissioner
Mr Blunkett: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many appeals his Department has made to an information tribunal contesting a decision notice of the Information Commissioner in the last 12 months. [100305]
Lost Property
Dr Whiteford: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what property has been lost or stolen from his Department in the last 12 months; and what the estimated cost was of replacement of such property. [100892]
Gregory Barker: Between 14 March 2011 and 14 March 2012 the following items have been lost or stolen from DECC:
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| Lost | |
| Number | |
| Stolen | |
| Number | |
The total cost of replacement is estimated at £16,280.
Departmental Manpower
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many private secretaries have served under each Minister in his Department since May 2010. [101277]
Gregory Barker: The following table sets out the number of serving and former private secretaries that have worked in Ministers' offices since May 2010. The figures exclude short-term locum placements.
| Minister | Number of private secretaries |
Ofgem
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many investigations Ofgem undertook in each of the last 10 years; and what the outcome was in each such case. [100474]
Charles Hendry: The information requested is a matter for Ofgem. The chief executive of Ofgem will write to the right hon. Member directly, and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether in cases where Ofgem agrees to an energy company delivering a package in recompense for breaches following an investigation, the penalty fine that would have been imposed had this not been agreed would have been higher. [100489]
Charles Hendry: When the Gas and Electricity Markets Authority takes enforcement action under both the Gas Act 1986 and the Electricity Act 1989, it can impose a penalty of such amount as is reasonable to the circumstances of the case.
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When deciding on the level of any proposed penalty, the authority will consider a range of factors, including any compensation paid by a company under investigation. The extent, to which such compensation will impact on the level of the penalty will depend on the particular circumstance of the case, including the seriousness of the breach and its duration, the extent of harm to consumers and other competitors etc.
The authority's Statement of Policy with respect to financial penalties under the Gas Act 1986 and the Electricity Act 1989 sets out general criteria that the authority will consider when assessing the initial level of penalty, the types of aggravating factors that are likely to increase the level of penalty and the types of mitigating factors that are likely to decrease the amount of the penalty(1).
(1) ( )http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/About%20us/Documents1/Utilities %20Act%20-%20Statement%20of%20policy%20with%20respect %20to% 20financial%20penalties.pdf
Power Stations: Expenditure
Mr Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much was paid to (a) Cockenzie, (b) Peterhead, (c) Longannet, (d) Hunterston and (e) Torness power stations in the form of constraint payments in (i) 2009, (ii) 2010 and (iii) 2011. [100186]
Charles Hendry [holding answer 19 March 2012]:The Department does not hold the information requested. However, National Grid has advised that details of all Balancing Mechanism payments are published at
www.elexon.co.uk
www.bmreports.com
Renewable Energy
Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many megawatts of renewable energy capacity had received planning approval in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) the North East and (d) Northumberland in the latest period for which figures are available. [101039] [Official Report, 16 April 2012, Vol. 543, c. 1MC.]
Gregory Barker: The latest available figures show that there is 14.3GW renewable electricity projects approved but not operational in the UK; of this 8.5GW is in England.
Further information on the current installed renewable electricity capacity as well as projects in planning and in construction for each region in the UK can be found on the DECC website, but unfortunately information below regional level is not available:
https://restats.decc.gov.uk/cms/welcome-to-the-restats-web-site
Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many megawatts of renewable energy capacity were awaiting permission in (a) the UK, (b) England, (c) the North East and (d) Northumberland in the latest period for which figures are available. [101040]
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Gregory Barker: There is currently 12.2GW of renewable electricity capacity being considered for permission in the UK; and of this, 5.3GW is in England.
A graph that shows the installed capacity of all planning applications by region can be found on the DECC website, but unfortunately information below regional level is not available:
https://restats.decc.gov.uk/app/pub/repd/regionalprogress/region/england/tab/regappstatusmw/
Renewable Energy: Feed-in Tariffs
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the oral answer of 8 March 2012, Official Report, column 998, on energy bills, what the evidential basis was for the additional cost to the average household energy bill by 2020 of the feed-in tariff scheme. [100552]
Gregory Barker: In the impact assessment supporting the current consultation on solar PV cost control:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/assets/decc/Consultations/fits-review/4320-feedin-tariffs-review-phase-2a-draft-impact-asses.pdf
we estimate that under our proposed tariffs, solar PV under FITs would add £8(1) to consumers’ bills in 2020. This is based on our estimates that at the proposed tariff levels, and under the central uptake scenario, £2.80/MWh would be added to the electricity price in 2020; also that average annual domestic electricity consumption (taking into account energy efficiency savings as a result of energy and climate change policies(2) will be 2.9 MWh in 2020. Multiplying these figures together gives £8.
(1) All costs in 2010 prices, undiscounted.
(2) Energy efficiency savings as a result of policies reducing electricity consumption in 2020 include carbon emissions reduction target (CERT), CERT extension, Community Energy Saving programme, Green Deal and energy company obligation, products policy and smart meters.
Warm Home Discount Scheme
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change pursuant to the oral answer of 8 March 2012, Official Report, column 991, on energy bills, what the evidential basis was for the number of households which have received help with their energy bills through the warm homes discount. [100560]
Gregory Barker: This figure is based on the published impact assessment which took into account:
20 Mar 2012 : Column 606W
Our estimates of the scale of the Core Group, based on DWP forecasts of benefit uptake and our experience of running the Energy Rebate Scheme in 2010;
The degree of support suppliers are required to provided under the Broader Group;
Suppliers' spending on the previous voluntary agreement which was used to estimate the average level of support and number of households assisted through social and discounted tariffs in the legacy spending element of the scheme.
Wind Power
Mrs Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had on Professor Hughes' study into the cost and carbon efficiency of wind farms and gas fired power stations. [99722]
Charles Hendry: The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, the right hon. Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey) has not had any discussions on Professor Hughes' study into the cost and carbon efficiency of wind farms and gas fired power stations needed for backup.
We welcome all constructive contributions to the debate about our future energy needs and how we may meet them. However, in this case the analysis is narrowly focused and does not model the market as a whole or reflect the full generation mix that is considered within the DECC scenarios that have been presented for the Renewables Obligation, EMR, and the 4(th) carbon budget.
Sir Alan Beith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the average load factor was of wind farms in English regions in each year since 2000. [101041]
Charles Hendry: Information on average load factors for wind generation by English region is published annually in the September edition of Energy Trends; copies of this publication are available in the Libraries of the House, and on the Department's website at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/statistics/publications/trends/trends.aspx
A time series of load factors is available on the Department’s website at
https://restats.decc.gov.uk/cms/historic-regional-statistics/#load_factors
these data are reproduced in the following table, and show load factors calculated on an “unchanged configuration” basis; this means the wind farm has been operating continuously throughout the year shown, and avoids distorting the data as a result of new capacity being introduced towards the end of the year.
| Wind load factors by English regions, 2000 to 2010 | |||||||||||
| Percentage | |||||||||||
| Region (1) | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 |
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20 Mar 2012 : Column 608W
| (1 )Regions with less than 3 wind farms operating continuously through a particular year are displayed as “—“, however their contribution is included in the all England total. | |||||||||||
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Air Pollution
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on which public bodies in (a) national and (b) local government the EU has the power to levy fines for failure to comply with air quality requirements. [100479]
Richard Benyon: The EU only has the power to fine member states, and not public bodies, for non-compliance with EU law. To date, the UK has never been fined.
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether she plans to include action on air quality in the next revision of her Department's business plan. [100486]
Richard Benyon: A review of DEFRA’s business plan is ongoing during 2012, in response to the Environmental Audit Committee's recommendation in their follow up report on air quality; further consideration will be given to the inclusion of air quality as part of that review.
Although air quality is not explicitly mentioned in the current DEFRA business plan, which was published May 2011, this does not in any way reflect a lack of importance attached to air quality nor to its significance as a cross government issue.
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with Ministers in other Departments about air quality. [100487]
Richard Benyon: My DEFRA Ministerial colleagues and I have recently had a wide range of discussions with Ministers in other Departments, where the links between air quality and other Departments' policy areas have been addressed, including in relation to economic policy, better regulation, public health, transport, energy, climate change, local government and planning.
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions (a) she has and (b) officials in her Department have had with representatives of local government about the effects on health of air pollution. [100488]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA Ministers and officials have had a wide range of recent discussions with representatives of local government on air quality, including on the health impacts of air pollution.
Air Pollution: Greater London
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on how many occasions and where the limit for particulate pollution (PM10) has been breached in London in (a) 2011 and (b) 2012 to date. [100477]
Richard Benyon: The UK compliance assessment for 2011 is not yet complete. Air quality monitoring and modelling data for 2011 is currently being collated and verified in time for publication and reporting to the European Commission in September 2012, in accordance with the reporting requirements of the Ambient Air Quality Directive (2008/50/EC).
The UK compliance assessment for 2012 will be published in September 2013.
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to ensure that the public and the London 2012 Olympics authorities are kept fully informed about pollution levels in London during the Olympic games. [100485]
Richard Benyon: The Secretary of State has put in place the following non-routine services for the 2012 Olympic games period to provide information about air quality in London.
She will provide the Health Protection Agency with daily forecast information from mid-June to mid-September 2012 to allow inclusion in daily briefings to the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) on risks to public health.
To increase the accuracy and timeliness of predictions, additional daily forecasts will be provided on demand if moderate air quality has been forecast by the routine three-day air quality forecasting services. These additional daily forecasts will be available to a spatial scale resolution of 2 km as required for London and the South East.
Extra air quality grant funding has been allocated to the airTEXT service, which provides free text, email or voicemail alerts of elevated levels of pollution. Around 10,000 Londoners have now signed up to airTEXT. AirTEXT will carry out further promotion work aimed at Londoners and visitors in the run-up to the games.
Additional air pollution information is already available in most daily newspapers, and via the website and app:
www.londonair.org.uk
This complements online information already provided by DEFRA at:
http://uk-air.defra.gov.uk
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Common Agricultural Policy: Reform
Fiona Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she has taken to ensure that British farmers are not disadvantaged during discussions on Common Agricultural Policy reform. [100767]
Mr Paice: We are working closely with European colleagues to argue for a fair outcome for UK taxpayers, farmers and consumers. The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) needs to look to the long term—to improve value for money, increase competitiveness, deliver public goods and reduce reliance on subsidies. We share the Commission's ambition for a greener CAP, but are cautious of proposals to achieve this through Pillar 1(direct subsidies for production). I have discussed UK concerns in detail with EU Agriculture Commissioner Ciolos, who said in his speech to the recent Annual General Meeting of the National Farmers' Union that appropriate ways would be found to recognise efforts made under agri-environment schemes (funded under Pillar 2 to provide environmental benefits) that contribute to the greening of the CAP. I also aim to achieve a more appropriate transition to area-based payments to ensure devolved Administrations are not unduly impacted, and seek a more objective allocation of Pillar 2 funding.
Flood Control
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to limit coastal erosion and protect communities in high-risk areas. [100459]
Richard Benyon: This Government will spend £2.17 billion on managing the risk of flooding and coastal erosion over this spending period (April 2011 to March 2015). We have prioritised areas of severe flood and coastal erosion risk and households in deprived communities. Of the 145,000 homes that will be better protected by 2015, around half will be in areas of significant flood risk and almost 15,000 homes will be both at significant flood risk and in the most deprived parts of the country.
New estimates show that the risk management authorities are on track to exceed the goal of better protecting 145,000 homes by March 2015. This is in part due to the new partnership approach to funding that has helped secure £72 million of external contributions for projects over the next three years.
Low Emission Zones
Mr Bradshaw: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to establish a national framework for low emission zones. [100483]
Richard Benyon: DEFRA is working with the Department for Transport to investigate the feasibility and effectiveness of a national framework to support low emission zones (LEZs) and a national certification scheme of retrofit technologies. This work is to determine whether such a framework is needed and whether it would be helpful for local authorities setting up LEZs. Part of the investigation concerns whether the abatement technology and standards applied are effective in reducing emissions.
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Schmallenberg Virus
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her counterparts in the devolved administrations on the spread of the Schmallenberg virus. [99788]
Mr Paice: We are in contact with the Chief Veterinary Officers and their officials in the devolved Administrations.
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance she has issued to farmers in relation to the Schmallenberg virus. [99791]
Mr Paice: Guidance to farmers is available at the VLA website:
http://vla.defra.gov.uk/science/sci_schmallenberg.htm
with links to leaflets. This information is regularly updated.
Whales
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of whales killed by cargo ships and tankers in the last year for which figures are available; and what steps she is taking to reduce the incidence of such activity. [100510]
Richard Benyon: There were 16 cases of large whale ship strikes, zero from the UK, reported to the annual meeting of the International Whaling Commission (IWC) in 2011.
Through the IWC Ship Strikes Working Group UK, scientists have contributed to research efforts to quantify the number of whales killed in collisions and to develop ways to reduce the risks. The UK was also present during the development of the International Maritime Organization's guidance document for minimising the risk of ship strikes with cetaceans, which was issued in July 2009.
Transport
A15
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people were (a) killed and (b) injured in road accidents on the A15 in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement. [100509]
Mike Penning: The number of people that were (a) killed and (b) injured in reported personal injury road accidents on the A15 for each of the last five years for which data are available, is given in the table:
| Number of casualties | |||||
| 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | |
Mr Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what bids for funding for improvements and widening to the A15 have been made to her Department since May 2010. [100511]
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Norman Baker: No bids have been made to the Department since May 2010 for funding improvements and widening to the A15.
We are consulting on proposals to devolve the funding for local authority major transport schemes from 2015. This would allow local communities and businesses a real say on investment priorities and bids would no longer need to come to DFT for approval.
Air Routes
Mr MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many slots per week have been agreed between the Government and the government of the People's Republic of China for passenger air services between (i) London Heathrow, (ii) Gatwick Airport, (iii) Luton Airport, (iv) Edinburgh, (v) Glasgow, (vi) Prestwick and (vii) Aberdeen and China; [100505]
(2) how many slots per week have been agreed between the Government and the government of Brazil for passenger air services between (a) London, (b) Birmingham, (c) Edinburgh, (d) Glasgow, (e) Prestwick and (f) Aberdeen and Brazil; [100506]
(3) how many scheduled passenger air routes between London and countries outside the EU have been established and operated by (a) airlines designated by the UK authorities and (b) airlines designated by another country's authority in the latest period for which figures are available; [100507]
(4) how many scheduled passenger air routes between Scotland and countries outside the EU have been established and operated by (a) airlines designated by the UK authorities and (b) airlines designated by the other country's authority in the latest period for which figures are available. [100508]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 19 March 2012]: I refer to my answer of 14 March 2012, Official Report, column 238-240W, which included details of the UK's air services arrangements with China and Brazil.
The majority of air services arrangements, including those with Brazil and China, do not prescribe which UK airports should be served. The decision is a commercial matter for airlines, based on their assessment of the particular markets. I understand that scheduled services are currently operated from Scotland to the following destinations outside the European Union: Dubai, New York, Dalaman (from April), Reykjavik and Zurich.
Aviation: Security
Graham Stringer:
To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information her Department holds on
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other EU member states which provide significant or 100% revenue and capital support for airport security. [100680]
Mrs Villiers [holding answer 19 March 2012]: The Department does not hold the information requested. However, a report by the European Commission on the financing of aviation security was published on 2 February 2009.
A copy of the European Commission's report was placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 10 February 2009, and an explanatory memorandum prepared by the Department for Transport was placed in Libraries on 9 March 2009.
Bus Lanes: Ambulances
Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if she will make provision for ambulances, on non-emergency but medical transportation, to use bus lanes. [100137]
Norman Baker [holding answer 15 March 2012]: It is for local traffic authorities to decide which types of vehicles they permit to use bus lanes on their network. If they wish to allow ambulances on non-emergency calls to use bus lanes, they can do so by writing this into the relevant Traffic Regulation Order.
East Coast Railway Line
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate she has made of the projected time saving of high speed rail between London and Newcastle compared to the London to Newcastle journey time that will be achieved under her forthcoming Intercity Express Programme on the East Coast Main Line. [99582]
Justine Greening: The current average journey time is 2 hours 52 minutes. Under IEP this would become 2 hours 41 minutes and with HS2 2 hours 18 minutes with two intermediate stops, as set out in the HS2 Decisions Document.
Food
Huw Irranca-Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of food procured by her Department (a) meets the Government Buying Standards for Food and Catering and (b) is from British sources. [99809]
Norman Baker: The Department for Transport and its agencies have procured food as follows:
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