Fracking
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the expected rate of fugitive methane emissions from the development of UK onshore shale gas resources; and whether he intends to commission additional research on this subject. [154385]
3 Jun 2013 : Column 943W
Michael Fallon: In December 2012, the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change requested a study to gather available evidence on potential greenhouse gas emissions from shale gas extraction in the UK and the compatibility of potential UK shale gas production and use with climate change targets. A report is being prepared with the outcome of this study and recommendations to mitigate the impacts of shale gas exploration, production and use. I expect this report to be published in the summer.
Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will commission further studies on the volume of shale gas in UK waters. [156937]
Green Deal Scheme
Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the number of timber-framed houses which have been insulated through the Green Deal to date; and if he will make a statement. [157142]
Gregory Barker: The Department does not currently collect information on the number of timber-framed houses insulated through the Green Deal.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when his Department will bring forward proposals for the non-domestic Green Deal. [157150]
Gregory Barker: The Legislative framework for non-domestic Green Deal is already in place. The market will determine its rollout.
There are currently 16 non-domestic assessor organisations and 55 non-domestic providers registered with oversight and registration body.
Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment his Department has made of the capacity of the UK construction workforce with regard to (a) numbers and (b) skills to meet demand for Green Deal installations. [157573]
Gregory Barker: There are currently 1,173 installer organisations on the Green Deal installer register, and numbers continue to increase each week.
The Green Deal will build on the existing skills of the UK construction industry and discussions with stakeholders suggest that the current supply chain has spare capacity to respond to business growth, both in terms of manufacturing and installation.
Methane: Arctic
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what steps he is taking to ensure the levels of methane gas released from Arctic ice are monitored and measured; [157070]
(2) what assessment he has made of the effects of Arctic methane release on climate change; [157071]
3 Jun 2013 : Column 944W
(3) what assessment he has made of the changing amount of methane in Arctic permafrost released over the last 10 years. [157072]
Gregory Barker: The Department is contributing to the Arctic Research Programme (ARP) of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), which aims to improve our capability to predict changes in the Arctic, particularly over timescales of months to decades, including regional impacts and the potential for feedbacks on the global Earth System.
Part of this programme includes observational measurements to quantity and understand better methane release from the Arctic, including from continental shelves under the Arctic Ocean. The ARP is also collaborating with Canadian scientists and the Met Office Hadley Centre (MOHC), on the study of methane release from Arctic permafrost.
The most recent data suggest that marine sources of methane in the Arctic are currently insignificant and, although Arctic terrestrial methane emissions may be increasing in places, overall there has been no significant increase.
Current evidence suggests that recent methane release in the Arctic has had limited effect on the climate but that much larger emissions, if they were to occur in the future, would potentially have a major impact. These are considered most likely to arise from land-based permafrost sources rather than from marine sources, but further research is required to understand better the risks.
Further information on the ARP is available at:
http://www.arctic.ac.uk/programme/
Nuclear Installations
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change when he plans to publish his review of the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations (REPPIR) covering emergencies around nuclear installations; with which stakeholders his Department has liaised in revising the existing regulations; what assessment he has made of the guidelines produced by the International Atomic Energy Agency on the issue of emergency planning zones; what consideration he has given to the proposal for a European Council Directive laying down basic safety standards for protection against the dangers arising from exposure to ionising radiation; which consultants have been contracted to assist in the revisions; and if he will publish on his departmental web site all papers his Department has assessed during the revision process. [156270]
Michael Fallon: The European Commission (EC) brought forward a formal proposal for a new basic safety standards directive that brings together and consolidates four existing Euratom directives, with a Euratom recommendation, on radiation protection.
DECC has overall UK government responsibility for negotiating the revision of the EU basic safety standards directive. A cross-Government group has been convened to ensure a consistent approach across UK Government.
3 Jun 2013 : Column 945W
DECC is working closely with other Government Departments and agencies, and officials from the devolved Administrations, to contribute to negotiations. DECC have been fully engaged in the negotiations to develop the proposal to amend the basic safety standards directive through participation in the Council working group—the Atomic Questions Working Group.
DECC will consider whether any revisions to the Radiation (Emergency Preparedness and Public Information) Regulations 2001 are required once the directive has been finalised. At the present time, no consultants have been contracted to assist with, revising REPPIR as part of this process. Similarly, DECC is not able to publish on its website any papers, assessed during the REPPIR revision process as this process has not taken place.
The UK Government consider international guidelines, including those of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), when developing nuclear emergency preparedness policy. It is cognisant of the type and sizes of emergency planning zones recommended by the IAEA. IAEA guidelines are likely to be considered as part of any future UK Government review of REPPIR.
Nuclear Reactors
Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what problems have arisen with the application of the UK computer coding practice in the integration of Esterel critical systems software from Areva in France into licensable UK new reactor design; and what reports he has received from the Office of Nuclear Regulation on the resolution of outstanding problems. [156380]
Michael Fallon: The Office for Nuclear Regulation (ONR) assessed the UK version of the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR)™ through the Generic Design Assessment (GDA) process using ONR's published Safety Assessment Principles (SAPs) and other guidance. ONR concluded that the software development processes proposed by EDF and AREVA (the Requesting Party for the GDA process) were adequate when compared with its SAPs and the requirements of the relevant international standards. The use of Esterel critical systems software tools was not proposed by EDF and AREVA during the assessment and consequently no problems were identified. Whichever aids and tools are used as part of the software development process for safety systems, ONR requires licensees to be able to demonstrate that software development processes are consistent with the guidance given in ONR's SAPS and relevant international standards, or equivalent.
Offshore Industry
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the annual charge is for (a) seaward production licences and (b) landward petroleum exploration and development licences. [157360]
Michael Fallon: Annual rentals for licences are calculated on the acreage (by square kilometre) of each individual licence, subject to a schedule approved by HM Treasury at the time of opening of each licence round.
3 Jun 2013 : Column 946W
(a) Traditional seaward production licences are £150 per square kilometre for the first four years and then rise annually in stages to £7,500 in the thirteenth year, remaining constant at that rate thereafter.
(b) Landward petroleum, exploration and development licences are £25 per square
kilometre for the first five years and then rise annually in stages to £1,200 in the twentieth year, remaining constant at that rate thereafter.
Full details of seaward and landward round rentals are given in pages 11 to 13 of DECC's ‘Applications For Production Licences General Guidance—January 2012’ which can be found on the Government's website at the following web address:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/15170/4226-guidance-general-application.pdf
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much revenue his Department has received from annual charges on (a) seaward production licences and (b) landward petroleum exploration and development licences (i) in each of the last 20 years and (ii) from each licensing round. [157361]
Michael Fallon: DECC does not receive this revenue, it is collected by the Department and then goes into the Consolidated Fund. Revenue figures from annual licence charges (seaward and landward combined) over the last 20 years can be found in the table ‘Government Revenues from UK Oil and Gas Production’ on DECC's website:
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/203892/UKCS_Tax_Table_May_2013.pdf
For ease of reference the relevant section of the table is as follows:
| Financial year | Licence fees (£ million) |
Separating out onshore licence fees and to carry out the necessary work to match revenue to specific licence rounds would require significant resources and would involve disproportionate costs.
3 Jun 2013 : Column 947W
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) how many staff are employed by his Department to work on oil and gas petroleum licensing; [157365]
(2) what the annual budget of his Department is for oil and gas petroleum licensing activities. [157383]
Michael Fallon: Within DECC, the following numbers of staff are employed in work on oil and gas petroleum licensing:
A total of 59 staff work in the Energy Development Unit's (EDU's) Licensing Exploration and Development Branch, of which some 32 staff are involved in work on oil and gas petroleum licensing. 11 of these staff are directly involved in the administration of licensing rounds and issue of licences.
In addition, there are three members of Information Technology staff involved in work on oil and gas petroleum licensing.
55 staff from EDU's Offshore Environment and Decommissioning Branch are engaged in environmental regulation of offshore petroleum activities, including advice on the environmental management capability of licence applicants.
DECC's annual budgets (2012-13) for these activities are as follows:
EDO—LED: £3.4 million, of which direct involvement in administration of licensing rounds constitutes around £730,000
EDU—IT: £550,000
OED: £5.2 million.
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many applications of (a) seaward production licences and (b) landward petroleum exploration and development licences were made in each licensing round. [157382]
Michael Fallon: (a) The following table shows seaward licensing round applications.
| Seaward licensing rounds—Number of applications | ||
| Round | Year | Number of applications |
3 Jun 2013 : Column 948W
(b) The following table shows the number of applications received in the last five landward licensing rounds. To obtain historical figures beyond those listed would require significant resources and would involve disproportionate costs.
| Landward licensing rounds—Number of applications | ||
| Round | Year | Number of applications |
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the total revenue received by his Department was for applications for (a) seaward production licences and (b) landward petroleum exploration and development licences in each licensing round. [157386]
Michael Fallon: Since 2011 DECC has retained licence application fee revenues previously remitted to The Consolidated Fund. The revenue figures available are as follows:
| £ million | |||
| Financial year | Offshore | Onshore | Total |
| Note: “Nil” means that no application fees were received. A “0.0” figure means that fees were received for total amounts considerably less than £0.5 million. | |||
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent estimate he has made of the cost to his Department of assessing an application for an (a) seaward production licence and (b) landward petroleum exploration and development licence. [157388]
Michael Fallon: The cost of assessing an application for a production licence is calculated prior to each round. The most recent assessments are £2,100 for a seaward production licence and £1,400 for a (landward) petroleum exploration and development licence.
Offshore Industry: Safety
Tom Greatrex: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change (1) what recent assessment he has made of the potential implications for the offshore oil and gas (a) workforce and (b) industry of the Health and Safety Executive's decision to transfer specialist offshore safety inspectors to a new energy division responsible for enforcing the safety regime in mines, gas and pipeline industries as well as the offshore oil and gas industry; [155909]
3 Jun 2013 : Column 949W
(2) what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on the potential implications for the offshore oil and gas industry of the recent restructuring of the Health and Safety Executive; and if he will make a statement; [155910]
(3) what assessment he has made of the implications for the offshore oil and gas (a) industry and (b) workforce of the Health and Safety Executive's decision to abolish its offshore safety division. [155911]
Michael Fallon: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the Minister of State, Department for Work and Pensions, my hon. Friend the Member for Fareham (Mr Hoban), on 21 May 2013, Official Report, columns 666-7W.
Personnel Management
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials in his Department were employed in human resources functions in each of the last five years; at what grades such staff were employed; and what the total cost of his Department’s human resources functions was. [156668]
Gregory Barker: DECC was formed in 2008 but the HR function did not exist at this point. The following table outlines the cost and size of the function from April 2009.
| Grade | Total headcount | Cost (£ million) | |
In addition to the costs shown above, since 2011 DECC HR has managed centrally a budget for all learning and development undertaken by staff in DECC. This is a mix of both generic and technical, professional and business specific learning and development. The total spend in 2012-13 was £1.5 million, in 2011-12 it was £1.6 million.
Procurement
David Mowat: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department took to ensure that the NSA procurement processes run by his Department gave a high priority to the improvement and retention of local specialist skills. [156575]
Gregory Barker:
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) and its site licence companies (SLCs) are responsible for tackling the nuclear legacy. In doing so they are required to ensure that they maintain and improve the skills in local communities necessary to deliver their mission. One of the ways they can do so is
3 Jun 2013 : Column 950W
through their procurement of goods and services from the supply chain. Procurement across the NDA’s estate is a matter for the NDA and the SLC’s, which they carry out in line with EU procurement rules. The Government is not involved in individual procurements, but within the bounds of procurement rules, we do encourage the NDA to use procurement to help deliver their responsibility to maintain and develop local skills. We have agreed a small and medium enterprise (SME) action plan with the NDA. This seeks to reduce barriers and increase opportunities for SMEs, which tend to have a strong local presence, in the NDA’s supply chain. We also encourage local suppliers to bid for contracts, in the hope the work can be performed locally and contribute to local economic growth.
Renewable Energy
Sir James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the net reduction in carbon emissions which will result from achieving the target of 20 per cent of power generation from renewable sources. [156018]
Michael Fallon: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 465W.
Mr Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will raise the fixed feed-in tariff threshold with regard to cooperative and community energy schemes. [157261]
Gregory Barker: The Government are considering an amendment to the Energy Bill which would seek to increase the specified maximum capacity of the feed-in tariff scheme from the current 5 MW limit.
Renewable Energy: Scotland
Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change whether the costs of intermittency were factored into cost comparisons of wind power with other forms of generation in the calculations underlying his Department's report on the Scottish Islands Renewables Project. [R] [156955]
Michael Fallon: The cost comparisons in the recent report on Scottish Islands Renewables were made on the basis of Levelised Cost of Electricity Generation. These estimates are intended to capture the average costs over the lifetime of the plant per MWh of electricity generated. These include grid connection costs, but do not include balancing costs associated with intermittency.
Scotland
Mr David Hamilton: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change if he will list the legislation his Department has sponsored which has devolved powers to the Scottish Parliament and powers within such legislation since 1998. [156227]
David Mundell: I have been asked to reply on behalf of the Scotland Office.
3 Jun 2013 : Column 951W
Scotland Office is responsible for maintaining and strengthening the devolution settlement; together with lead policy Departments we have delivered a programme of Scotland Act orders that have provided additional powers to the Scottish Parliament, as well as delivering the Scotland Act 2012 that enhanced the devolution settlement and provided the largest transfer of financial responsibility since 1999.
Further devolution to the Scottish Parliament is principally achieved by way of amendments to schedules 4 and 5 of the Act. Since 1998 the following changes to those schedules have been made. These are presented in summary form.
Amendments to schedule 4 of the Scotland Act 1998
Power to modify the Scotland Act 1998 regarding financial assistance for opposition parties in the Scottish Parliament.
Powers to modify certain provisions of the Scotland Act 1998 requiring any sum to be payable out of the Scottish Consolidated Fund.
Power to provide that proceedings brought in a court or tribunal against a member of the Scottish Government under the Scotland Act 1998 on human rights grounds have to be brought before the end of a limitation period (since repealed by Scotland Act 2012).
Amendments to schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998
The making of payments to any political party for the purpose of assisting members of the Parliament to perform their parliamentary duties.
A power to allow the Scottish Parliament to conduct a referendum on the independence of Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom, subject to certain conditions.
Financial and economic matters
Powers to set a rate of income tax to be paid by Scottish taxpayers, and taxes in relation to land transactions and landfill.
The interception of any communication made to or by a person detained at a place of detention.
The regulation of air weapons.
Powers in relation to business associations which are social landlords, including in relation to winding up proceedings and procedures giving protection from creditors.
Powers to provide financial assistance for the provision of services (other than postal services and services relating to money or postal orders) to be provided from public post offices.
Powers to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of rail services.
Powers to transfer functions of passenger transport executives or passenger transport authorities relating to rail services, and the allocation of such functions among relevant authorities.
The promotion and construction of railways which start, end and remain in Scotland.
Power to impose requirements on Scottish public authorities about the preparation and submission of strategies relating to the provision of air services.
Powers to provide occasional financial or other assistance to or in respect of individuals for the purposes of meeting an immediate short-term need, arising out of exceptional services, to avoid risk to the individual’s well-being, or enabling qualifying individuals to establish or maintain a settled home.
3 Jun 2013 : Column 952W
Fire safety on construction sites and on certain premises, including those concerned in the manufacture or storage of chemicals, explosives or flammable materials.
Amendment to part 1 of the Scotland Act 1998
Power to make provision as to the conduct of elections for membership of the Scottish Parliament, and the questioning of such an election and the consequences of irregularities. Made by the Scotland Act 2012 and yet to be brought into force.
Supply Estimates
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the detailed breakdown of Part II table changes from 2012-13 for his Department's main supply estimates for 2013-14 (a) what programmes are supported and (b) how much funding each such programme receives under subheading A, Save energy with the Green Deal and support vulnerable customers. [157429]
Gregory Barker: The programmes funded under subheading A, Save energy with the Green Deal and support vulnerable customers, together with the breakdown of expenditure shown in the 2013-14 Main Estimate, are shown in the following table:
| £000 | |||
| Programme Name | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | |
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the detailed breakdown of Part II table changes from 2012-13 for his Department's main supply estimates for 2013-14 (a) what programmes are supported and (b) how much funding each such programme receives under subheading B, Deliver secure funding on the way to tackle a low carbon economy future. [157430]
Gregory Barker: The programmes funded under subheading B, Deliver secure energy on the way to a low carbon energy future, together with the breakdown of expenditure shown in the 2013-14 Main Estimate, are shown in the following table:
| £000 | |||
| Programme Name | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | |
3 Jun 2013 : Column 953W
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the detailed breakdown of Part II table changes from 2012-13 for his Department's main supply estimates for 2013-14 (a) what programmes are supported and (b) how much funding each such programme receives under subheading C, Drive ambitions on climate change at home and abroad. [157431]
Gregory Barker: The programmes, funded under subheading C, Drive ambitious action on climate change at home and abroad, together with the breakdown of expenditure shown in the 2013-14 Main Estimate, are shown in the following table:
| £000 | |||
| Programme Name | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | |
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to the detailed breakdown of Part II table changes from 2012-13 for his Department's main supply estimates for 2013-14 (a) what programmes are supported and (b) how much funding each such programme receives under subheading D, Manage our energy legacy responsibly and cost-effectively. [157432]
Gregory Barker: The programmes funded under subheading D, Manage our energy legacy responsibly and cost-effectively, together with the breakdown of expenditure shown in the 2013-14 Main Estimate, are shown in the following table:
| £000 | |||
| Programme Name | 2012-13 | 2013-14 | |
3 Jun 2013 : Column 954W
Caroline Flint: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to Part III: Note G of his Department's Main Estimates, 2013-14, what programmes are supported under E4-DEL, fuel drivers resilience. [157583]
Michael Fallon: Government are committed to working with business and regulators to reduce the likelihood of disruptions to energy and fuel supplies, and to ensure that contingency arrangements are in place to respond to emergencies when they do occur. The programme of work detailed under Part III: Note G of his Department's Main Estimates, 2013-14, under E4-DEL is part of the wider programme of work Government have in place to help support the downstream oil industry's contingency planning and details are provided on the DECC website at:
http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/meeting_energy/en_security/downstream_oil/improving/improving.aspx
Training
Priti Patel: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many officials in (a) his Department and (b) the non-departmental public bodies for which he is responsible enrolled in publicly-funded training courses in each of the last five years; what the total cost has been of such courses; and what the monetary value was of the 10 highest training course fees in each such year. [155427]
Gregory Barker: The Department and the non-departmental public bodies do not record centrally the number of DECC officials who have enrolled on publicly-funded training courses. It is also not possible to determine the monetary value of the 10 highest training course fees in each year, without incurring disproportionate costs, due to the way the information is recorded and the need to disaggregate it from other items such as subscriptions to multiple training facilities accessible to all staff.
Total expenditure of such courses undertaken by DECC officials in the last five years is available and shown in the following table for (a) core-DECC and (b) NDPBs.
| £000 | ||
| Period | Core-DECC | NDPBs |
3 Jun 2013 : Column 955W
Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16. [157524]
Gregory Barker: Ministerial travel is paid for out of the overall budget for ministerial offices in DECC. A budget is set that makes provision for both Ministers and officials as there is normally a requirement for one or more officials to accompany Ministers on official departmental business.
In the last financial year the DECC group from which ministerial offices were paid, spent less than its allocated budget. The indicative travel budget for the whole group (Ministers and officials) for 2013-14 is £229,000.
The specific budgets for 2014-15 and for 2015-16 have not been set yet as this will be subject to departmental business planning.
All travel is taken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Maria Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current Parliament. [157545]
Gregory Barker: Departmental spend on the Government Car Service is published annually in a written ministerial statement given by the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, copies of which can be found in the Libraries of the House. Details of such costs for the current Parliament will be published in the normal way later this year.
A summary of the information for DECC is as follows:
| £ | |
Other car hire, taxi services:
| £ | |
Details of ministerial rail travel is as follows:
| £ | |
3 Jun 2013 : Column 956W
The details of overseas travel by Ministers are published quarterly, and can be found on
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications?departments%5B%5D=department-of-energy-climate-change&publication_type-transparency-data
All travel is taken in accordance with the Ministerial Code.
Wind Power: Dagenham
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what assessment he has made of the success of the Dagenham wind turbines in providing cost-effective energy for the local area. [157064]
Michael Fallon: We have made no specific assessment of the Dagenham wind turbines.
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many (a) homes and (b) commercial premises are served by the Dagenham wind turbines. [157065]
Michael Fallon: The Dagenham wind turbines power the Ford Dagenham Diesel Centre.
Cabinet Office
Big Society Foundation
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what contracts his Department held with the Big Society Foundation in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and what contracts his Department currently holds with that organisation; [157479]
(2) how much funding his Department allocated to the Big Society Foundation in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how much he expects to allocate in 2013-14. [157515]
Mr Hurd: The Big Society Foundation is a subsidiary of Big Society Capital (BSC). The Government have never had any funding allocated to, or contracts with, the Big Society Foundation.
Big Society Network
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how much funding his Department allocated to the Big Society Network in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and how much he expects to allocate in 2013-14; [157510]
(2) what contracts his Department held with the Big Society Network in (a) 2010-11, (b) 2011-12 and (c) 2012-13; and what contracts his Department currently holds with that organisation. [157480]
Mr Hurd: In 2010-11 the Cabinet Office did not pay any grant to the Big Society Network (BSN). In 2011-12, £199,900 was paid in grant funding to BSN. The following year £350,000 was paid to BSN. For 2013-14 no payments have been allocated to BSN.
In addition to grant funding, a contract for £12,000 of services was awarded in 2012-13.
3 Jun 2013 : Column 957W
In the current financial year the Cabinet Office has awarded grant funding of £150,000 to the Society Network Foundation which is the charitable arm of the Big Society Network.
British Nationals Abroad: Caribbean
Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many British citizens have visited the Caribbean in each of the last seven years. [157047]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to respond to your Parliamentary Question to the Minister for the Cabinet Office asking how many British citizens have visited the Caribbean in each of the last seven years [157047].
I am able to report estimated visits to the Caribbean made by UK citizens or nationals who are resident in the UK. Estimates are derived from the International Passenger Survey and are provided separately from 2006 to 2012.
A 'visit to the Caribbean' is a trip abroad by a UK national residing in the UK, during which a Caribbean country is the main country of visit. Anyone travelling to the Caribbean on a cruise will be recorded as having gone on a 'fly cruise' rather than visited the Caribbean. Fly cruises are therefore excluded from the figures.
| Table 1: Number of visits by UK nationals to the Caribbean in the last seven years | |
| Number (thousand) | |
| Source: International Passenger Survey | |
Business Advisory Group
Mr Umunna: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what dates the Prime Minister's Business Advisory Group has met since May 2010. [157000]
Mr Hurd: Details of ministerial meetings with external organisations, including meetings with newspaper and other media proprietors, editors and senior executives are published on a quarterly basis. Details can be accessed on the Cabinet Office website.
Conditions of Employment
Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw of 13 May 2013, Official Report, columns 72-3W, on conditions of employment, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people employed on zero-hour contracts in the UK. [157011]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
3 Jun 2013 : Column 958W
Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking pursuant to the Answer to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw of 13 May 2013, Official Report, columns 72-3W, on conditions of employment, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people employed on zero-hour contracts in the UK. 157011
Estimates regarding people working on zero-hours contracts are available from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). A zero-hours contract is defined as a contract of employment which does not specify a fixed number of hours per week and has no guaranteed minimum number of hours.
It is estimated that for the most recent period available, October to December 2012, there were 200,000 people aged 16 and over in employment who reported that they were on a zero-hours contract in the UK. This is 0.7 per cent of the total employment in the UK.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. It is estimated that the true value is likely to lie between 174,000 and 226,000. In addition, there is likely to be a degree of reporting error in these estimates as individuals may fail to identify their type of employment contract.
Departmental Co-ordination
Mr Frank Field: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many inter-departmental ministerial groups have operated in the last three years; which Departments were involved in such groups; how many meetings each group held; and which Ministers attended each meeting of each group. [157302]
Mr Maude: In line with the practice of previous Administrations, details of internal meetings are not normally disclosed,
Employment: Lancashire
Paul Maynard: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the net change in the number of private sector jobs was in (a) Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency and (b) Lancashire in the latest period for which figures are available. [157371]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the net change in the number of private sector jobs was in (a) Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency and (b) Lancashire in the latest period for which figures are available. (157371)
Information regarding the number of private sector jobs for parliamentary constituencies is not available. As an alternative, estimates relating to the number of people employed in the private sector have been provided. Employment statistics for local areas are calculated from the Annual Population Survey (APS).
Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. In the APS the distinction between public and private sector is based on respondents’ views about the organisation for which they work. The private sector estimates provided do not correspond to those derived as part of the calculation of the official Public Sector Employment estimates. These are based on a National Accounts’ definition, are generally lower and are not available for areas smaller then regions.
3 Jun 2013 : Column 959W
The table shows the number and net change of people employed in the private sector in Blackpool North and Cleveleys constituency and Lancashire. Figures have been provided for both Lancashire County Council and the area covered by the Lancashire Local Enterprise Partnership, which additionally covers the Blackpool and Blackburn and Darwen Unity Authorities These estimates are compiled from APS interviews held during the period January 2012 to December 2012, the latest period available, and the 12 month period ending in December 2011.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the APS are subject to a margin of uncertainty. A guide to the quality of the estimates is given in the table.
National and local area estimates for many labour market statistics, including employment, unemployment and claimant count are available on the NOMIS website at:
http://www.nomisweb.co.uk
| Table 1: Net change in the number of people employed in the private sector(1) in Blackpool North and Cleveleys parliamentary constituency and Lancashire | |||
| Thousand | |||
| Private sector jobs | |||
| Blackpool North and Cleveleys | Lancashire county council | Lancashire local enterprise partnership | |
| (1) Individuals in the APS are classified to the public or private sector according to their responses to the survey. (2) Coefficients of Variation have been calculated for the latest period as an indication of the quality of the estimates, as described below: Guide to Quality: The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of an estimate, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV—for example, for an estimate of 200 with a CV of 5% we would expect the population total to be within the range 180-220. Key: * 0 ≤ CV<5%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered precise ** 5 ≤= CV <10%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered reasonably precise *** 10 ≤= CV <20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered acceptable **** CV ≥= 20%—Statistical Robustness: Estimates are considered too unreliable for practical purposes CV = Coefficient of Variation Source: Annual Population Survey. | |||
Government Departments: Procurement
Andy Sawford: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps his Department takes to ensure that checks are made in Government procurement processes so that no contractors or providers practise blacklisting of workers. [156686]
Miss Chloe Smith: Public sector procurers are required to comply with principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination, including from EU treaties, when awarding public contracts.
The Government expect companies not to break either data protection law, trade union law or the Blacklists Regulations when planning or undertaking work for the public sector.
3 Jun 2013 : Column 960W
High Speed 2 Railway Line
Jim Dobbin: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office on what date the Major Projects Authority report into High Speed Rail 2 will be published. [157304]
Miss Chloe Smith: The Major Projects Authority's first annual report has been published and is available here:
http://engage.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/major-projects-authority
Legal Costs
Sadiq Khan: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) what the highest day rate paid for external legal advice by his Department was since 7 May 2010; [156857]
(2) what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by his Department were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; to whom they were paid; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought in each case. [156858]
Mr Maude: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 20 May 2013, Official Report, column 474W.
Married People
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many and what proportion of people in the white British ethnic group were married in each of the last 30 years. [156972]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to respond to your question as to how many and what proportion of people in the white British ethnic group were married in each of the last 30 years. (156972)
The number and marital status of the White British population in England and Wales can be estimated using the Labour Force Survey. Estimates are only available for 1996 to 2012 using this source. Figures for 1996 to 2000 are for the White (rather than White British) population as estimates for White British are not available for these years.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
| Number and percentage of people aged 16 or over in the white British ethnic group who are married, England and Wales, 1996 to 2012 | ||
| Number married (Million) | Percentage married | |
3 Jun 2013 : Column 961W
| (1) Figures for 1996 to 2000 are for the white (rather than white British) population. | ||
Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many married families living with dependent children (a) under three years old, (b) under six years old and (c) of any age there were in each of the last 30 years. [156973]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to respond to your question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many married families living with dependent children (a) under three years old, (b) under six years old and (c) of any age there were in each of the last 30 years. (156973)
The number of married couple families in the UK can be estimated using the Labour Force Survey. Estimates are provided for married couple families with at least one dependent child in the age group. Dependent children are those living with their parent(s) and either (a) aged under 16, or (b) aged 16 to 18 in full-time education, excluding children aged 16 to 18 who have a spouse, partner or child living in the household. Estimates are only available for 1996 to 2012 using this source.
It should be noted in the table that the estimates in column b (families with at least one child aged under six) include the estimates in column a (families with at least one child aged under three) so the two columns should not be added together.
As with any sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
| Married couple families with dependent children in the UK, 1996 to 2012 | |||
| Married couple families with dependent children (million) | |||
| (a) Under three years | (b) Under six years | (c) Of any age | |
Mortality Rates: Children
Chris Ruane:
To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the infant mortality rate was in each (a)
3 Jun 2013 : Column 962W
local authority area,
(b)
health authority area and
(c)
constituency in each of the last 30 years. [157502]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Secretary of State for Health, what the infant mortality rate was in each (a) local authority area, (b) health authority and (c) constituency in each of the last 30 years. [157502]
Due to the sensitive nature of infant deaths and the risk of identifying individuals, ONS does not publish infant mortality figures for individual parliamentary constituencies. Consequently, figures for constituency cannot be provided.
Table 1 provides the infant mortality rates and confidence intervals by local authority area, for deaths registered in England and Wales between 2002 and 2011 (the latest year available).
Table 2 provides the infant mortality rates and confidence intervals by Primary Care Trust, for deaths registered in England and Wales between 2002 and 2011 (the latest year available). Figures have been provided for the last 10 years rather than the last 30 years, as these statistics were not readily available and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Figures for infant mortality in England and Wales are published annually on the ONS website:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/child-mortality-statistics--childhood--infant-and-perinatal/index.html
A copy of the tables will be stored in the Library of the House.
Pay
Mr Raab: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many employees in his Department were paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000 in (i) 2012 and (ii) 2013. [156750]
Mr Maude: The following table shows the number of staff in my Department that were paid (a) between £80,000 and £100,000 per year and (b) in excess of £100,000 per year, in April 2012 and April 2013. It is worth noting that despite significant machinery of Government changes, which have expanded the work which my Department undertakes, there are considerably fewer staff paid at these levels than in April 2009, before the last general election.
| Number | ||
| As at April each year: | £80,000 to £100,000 | More than £100,000 |
Polling Stations: Schools
Mr Spencer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what guidance his Department issues to local returning officers on the use of schools as polling stations. [157181]
3 Jun 2013 : Column 963W
Miss Chloe Smith: While my Department decides the policy and drafts legislation for statutory polls, it is for the Electoral Commission to issue guidance. The law provides that returning officers may designate schools, together with other buildings such as council premises, halls and other public service or private sector community venues as polling stations, and the Commission includes advice on selecting polling stations in its guidance for returning officers at local and other polls.
Public Sector: Business Interests
Mr Carswell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) when he plans to respond to the Public Administration Select Committee's report on Business Appointment Rules, Session 2012-13, HC 404; [156892]
(2) whether he is considering the introduction of statutory regulation of the business appointment rules; [156893]
(3) whether he is considering the appointment of a conflict of interest and ethics commissioner to oversee the business appointment rules; [156894]
(4) with reference to the conclusions of the report by the Public Accounts Select Committee entitled, Business Appointment Rules, Session 2012-13, HC 404, whether he plans to abolish the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments and replace it with a more powerful organisation; [156895]
(5) whether he plans to introduce more stringent oversight of moves between the Civil Service and the private sector; [156896]
(6) if he will bring forward legislative proposals to prevent companies from buying up the accumulated knowledge of experienced civil servants. [156897]
Mr Maude: The Government are considering the recommendations of the Public Administration Select Committee in its report on the Business Appointment Rules, Session 2012-13, HC 404. The Government are looking at the Rules in the light of a number of the recommendations put forward by the Committee, and will respond as soon as possible.
Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he will publish guidance to local authorities on the implementation of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012; and if he will make a statement. [156989]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office has published a detailed guidance document to help commissioners and procurers, including local authorities, understand how they can implement the Act. It can be found on the Cabinet Office website.
Skin Cancer
Philip Davies: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who have died from skin cancer in each of the last five years; and if he will estimate the number of those diagnosed that were related to over-exposure to the sun. [156779]
3 Jun 2013 : Column 964W
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking for the number of people who have died from skin cancer in each of the last five years and the number of those diagnosed that were related to over-exposure to the sun. (156779)
Table 1 below provides the number of deaths where skin cancer was the underlying cause, in England and Wales, for the years 2007 to 2011 (the latest year available).
The number of deaths registered in England and Wales each year by sex, age and underlying cause (including cancer), are published annually on the ONS website at:
www.ons.gov.uk/ons/publications/all-releases.html?definition=tcm%3A77-27475
The numbers of cancers diagnosed in England each year, by sex, age and cancer type, are published annually on the ONS website at:
www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/vsob1/cancer-statistics-registrations--england--series-mb1-/index.html
It is not possible to determine if a skin cancer was related directly to over exposure to the sun solely from the information collected as part of the death registration or cancer registration process.
| Table 1: Number of deaths where the underlying cause was skin cancer, deaths registered between 2007 and 2011, England and Wales(1, 2, 3) | |
| Number | |
| (1 )Skin cancer was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C43 and C44. (2) Figures for England and Wales include deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are based on deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in the years 2007-11. Further information on registration delays for a range of causes can be found on the ONS website: Source: Office for National Statistics. | |
Social Action Fund
Mr Thomas: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many applicants there were for the Social Action Fund; and whether any applicants successfully obtained funding despite not meeting the (a) published criteria and (b) deadline for applications. [157513]
Mr Hurd: The Cabinet Office received 1,412 applications for the Social Action Fund.
Cabinet Office and Social Investment Business (SIB) agreed to expand one of the criterion for the Social Action Fund following comments that it was too narrow for newly formed organisations.
SIB who manage the fund are satisfied that all organisations that went on to be funded met the deadline for applications.
Thromboembolism: East of England
Sir Bob Russell: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people died from venous thromboembolism in each hospital trust area in the East of England in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [156969]
3 Jun 2013 : Column 965W
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking the Secretary of State for Health how many people died from venous thromboembolism in each hospital trust area in the East of England in each of the last five years for which figures are available [156969].
Death from venous thromboembolism usually occurs as a result of pulmonary embolism. Table 1 therefore provides the number of deaths where either pulmonary embolism or deep vein thrombosis was the underlying cause of death, in the East of England region, for deaths registered between 2007 and 2011 (the latest year available).
Venous thromboembolism may occur as a complication of other conditions such as cancer. In such cases the other condition may be specified as the underlying cause of death and venous thromboembolism shown elsewhere on the certificate. Table 2 provides the number of deaths where pulmonary embolism and/or deep vein thrombosis were mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor.
It is not possible to provide the number of deaths from venous thromboembolism in each hospital trust area in the East of England as the information collected at death registration does not distinguish between the organisations managerially responsible for the patient's care. Although the name and address of the hospital where the death occurred is recorded at registration, the services provide at a single hospital site may be managed by several NHS Trusts or private contractors.
| Table 1: Number of deaths where the underlying cause of death was venous thromboembolism, East of England, deaths registered between 2007 and 2011(1,2,3) | |
| Registration year | Deaths |
| (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes I80.1-I80.3, I80.9, I82.9, I26.0, I26.9: definitions of each of these causes are shown in Box 1. Deaths were included where one of the causes shown in Box 1 was the underlying cause of death. (2) Figures are based on boundaries correct as at February 2013 and exclude deaths of non-residents. (3) Figures are based on deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in the years 2007-2011. Further information on registration delays for a range of causes can be found on the ONS website: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/health-and-life-events/impact-of-registration-delays-on-mortality-statistics/index.html | |
| Table 2: Number of deaths where venous thromboembolism was mentioned on the death certificate, East of England, deaths registered between 2007 and 2011(1,2,3) | |
| Registration year | Deaths |
| (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases. Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes I80.1-I80.3, I80.9, I82.9, I26.0, I26.9, definitions of each of these causes are shown in Box 1. Deaths were included where one or more of the causes shown in Box I were mentioned anywhere on the death certificate, either as the underlying cause or as a contributory factor. (2) Figures are based on boundaries correct as at February 2013 and exclude deaths of non-residents. (3 )Figures are based on deaths registered, rather than deaths occurring in the years 2007-2011. Further information on registration delays for a range of causes can be found on the ONS website: www.ons.gov.uk/ons/guide-method/user-guidance/health-and-life-events/impact-of-registration-delays-on-mortality-statistics/index.html | |
3 Jun 2013 : Column 966W
Travel
Maria Eagle: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office (1) how much his Department spent on ministerial travel by (a) Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other means in each year of the current Parliament; [157540]
(2) what his Department's budget for ministerial travel for (a) the Government Car Service, (b) private hire vehicles, (c) taxis, (d) rail, (e) aviation and (f) other is for (i) 2013-14, (ii) 2014-15 and (iii) 2015-16. [157519]
Mr Maude: This Government have slashed the cost to the taxpayer of Government cars compared with the costs before the last general election.
For details of how much my Department has spent on the Government Car Service, I refer the hon. Member to the information published in the annual written ministerial statement:
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201011/cmhansrd/cm101028/wmstext/101028m0001.htm#10102827000372
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201212/cmhansrd/cm120116/wmstext/120116m0001.htm#12011611000194
http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201213/cmhansrd/cm121220/wmstext/121220m0001.htm#12122056000216
Details of the costs for the Government Car Service for 2012-13 will be published in the normal way later this year.
Records of other travel by my Department are categorised alongside other spend and are not held centrally. As was the case under previous Administrations, the use of taxis in the Cabinet Office is only permitted in line with strict departmental guidance.
The Cabinet Office publishes, on a quarterly basis, details of Cabinet Office Ministers' overseas travel.
3 Jun 2013 : Column 967W
Unemployment: Young People
Susan Elan Jones: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people aged 25 years old and under have been unemployed in the last five years. [156968]
Mr Hurd: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the UK Statistics Authority. I have asked the authority to reply.
Letter from Glen Watson, dated May 2013:
As Director General for the Office for National Statistics, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many people aged 25 years old and under have been unemployed in the last five years. 156968
Estimates of unemployment are derived from the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The table following shows the estimated number of people aged from 16 to 25 inclusive who were unemployed during the January to March period in each of the last 5 years. Estimates are not seasonally adjusted.
| January to March, each year | ||
| Unemployed aged 16 to 25 | ||
| Level (thousand) | Rate (percentage)(1) | |
| (1) Unemployment level as a proportion of those economically active. Source: Labour Force Survey | ||
Official estimates of youth unemployment measure people aged from 16 and 24 inclusive. These are available seasonally adjusted and are published monthly in the Labour Market Statistical Bulletin (Table A06), via the following link:
http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lms/labour-market-statistics/may-2013/table-a06.xls
Universal Credit
Stephen Timms: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects the new project assessment review for the universal credit programme will take place. [156759]
Mr Maude: The next project assessment review for universal credit will take place during June 2013.
Church Commissioners
Legal Costs
Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what the highest day rate was paid for external legal advice by the Church Commissioners since 7 May 2010. [156834]
Sir Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners do not hold an itemised record of day rates paid for external legal advice. Identification of this information would require a manual trawl of a very large number of files for the relevant period and the information could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.
3 Jun 2013 : Column 968W
Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, how much the Church Commissioners spent on external legal advice (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012. [156835]
Sir Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners spent a total of £9,193,363 on external legal advice between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012, and have spent a further £2,848,769 since 4 September 2012. Those figures should be seen in the context of a fund valued at £5.5 billion which includes real estate valued at over £1.8 billion. They include costs incurred in connection with conveyancing and other property-related matters, litigation (including property litigation to protect significant assets) and specialist advice on historic assets and chancel repair liabilities, together with costs incurred in the exercise of the Commissioners’ power to pay legal costs incurred by diocesan bishops.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, how much the Church Commissioners spent on external legal advice from Queen's Counsel (a) between 7 May 2010 and 4 September 2012 and (b) since 4 September 2012. [156836]
Sir Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners do not keep itemised records relating to advice from Queen's Counsel and estimate that to gather the information would incur disproportionate costs.
Sadiq Khan: To ask the hon. Member for Banbury, representing the Church Commissioners, what the 20 highest amounts paid for external legal advice by the Church Commissioners were in (a) 2010, (b) 2011 and (c) 2012; to whom they were paid; and for what reasons the legal advice was sought. [157282]
Sir Tony Baldry: The Church Commissioners are unable to detail the amounts paid, to whom payment was made and for what reason the advice was sought as gathering this information would give rise to disproportionate costs.
Transport
Biofuels
Fiona O'Donnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Government is taking steps to ensure that EU negotiations on amending the Renewable Energy Directive secure a transition towards more sustainable bio fuels. [157576]
Norman Baker: The European Commission brought forward a proposed Directive in October 2012 to address the issue of Indirect Land Use Change (ILUC) of which a proposed five per cent cap is part. The Department for Transport is actively engaged in negotiation in the Council and European Parliament on the Commission's proposed amendments.
The Government believes that ILUC should be addressed urgently and considers the introduction of "ILUC factors" to be the most appropriate solution. ILUC factors
3 Jun 2013 : Column 969W
would prevent feedstocks which have the worst indirect impacts on land use from meeting mandatory sustainability criteria in the Renewable Energy Directive. We are also of the view that additional incentives should be provided for 'advanced' biofuels from non land using feedstocks and wastes.