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Fuel Poverty Strategy
Lord Hoyle asked Her Majesty's Government:
- When the final version of the United Kingdom Fuel Poverty Strategy will be published.[HL1484]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): The United Kingdom Fuel Poverty Strategy has been published today and copies are being placed in the Library of the House.
DEFRA: Aims and Objectives
Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What changes the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs intends to make to its published draft aims and objectives as a result of the consultation it held.[HL1392]
Lord Whitty: Following extensive consultation with our stakeholders, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State published the revised and final aim and objectives on DEFRA's website http://www.defra.gov.uk/ on 14 November 2001. We have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.
Flood Defences
Baroness Turner of Camden asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they are satisfied with the progress made in improving flood defences in view of reports that insurers are unwilling to provide cover in flood-prone areas.[HL1426]
Lord Whitty: The Government maintain close links with the insurance industry to help ensure continued availability of affordable flood cover. There is an agreement among Association of British Insurers (ABI) member companies that they will continue to provide flood cover, except in exceptional circumstances, for domestic properties and small businesses which they currently insure during 2001 and 2002. Cases where there is an alleged breach of this agreement have been referred by DEFRA to the ABI for investigation. However, it must be recognised that insurance companies need to take a commercial decision as to what risk they will cover and on what terms. Also, the insurance industry is a competitive one and customers may need to shop around to obtain the best deal.
My honourable friends the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Commons) and the Economic Secretary to the Treasury met the ABI on 5 September to discuss our mutual aim of ensuring that affordable flood insurance cover continues to be generally available after December 2002. Further discussions between officials have taken place.
Together with the flood defence operating authorities, we are reducing the risk of flooding and are communicating this to the insurance industry. We are reducing the risk through substantial increases in investment in flood and coastal defences (which now totals over £400 million a year). Flood defences are being repaired, renewed, maintained and improved. Flood warning arrangements are continually being improved. The Government have issued strengthened guidance to local planning authorities on control of development in flood risk areas and are reviewing the financial and institutional arrangements under which the flood defence service is delivered.
The additional funding is being used in particular to accelerate a number of river flood defence schemes and to provide for whole catchment studies to proceed. However, as taxpayers' money is at stake, it is necessary to ensure that schemes are properly appraised, that a range of options are considered and the potential impact of defences elsewhere on the coastline or in the catchment is considered. Such problems are rarely amenable to standard solutions.
Permanent and Severe Disability
Lord Morris of Manchester asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their estimate of the number of people in the United Kingdom who are permanently and substantially handicapped by disability; and what is their estimate of those with hearing, sight, mobility and other disabilities.[HL1145]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham): Information is not available on the permanence of disability, and there is no administrative count of the number of severely disabled or single definition of severe disability. However the 1996–97 Disability Survey asked around 7,000 disabled people a series of questions about their disability. On the basis of the answers to these questions, approximately 1.84 million adults in private households in Great Britain met the survey's definition of severe disability.
On the basis of responses to the Disability Survey, the estimated numbers of people with hearing, sight, mobility and other disabilities are shown in the table below. Because many people reported more than one condition the total number exceeds 1.84 million.
| Condition | Number reported (millions) |
| Locomotion | 1.69 |
| Hearing | 0.72 |
| Sight | 0.68 |
| Other | 7.45 |
Old Age Pensioners and Severely Disabled People
Lord Ashley of Stoke asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What is their estimate of the number of old age pensioners and the number of severely disabled people.[HL1253]
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: The information requested is not available. Such information as is available is shown below.
The number of people in receipt of retirement pension at 31 March 2001 was 11.1 million.
The number of severely disabled people cannot be estimated on an equivalent basis. However, responses to the 1996–97 Disability Survey suggested that about
1.84 million people living in private households could be defined, on the basis of their responses, as being "seriously disabled." Notes: 1. The retirement pension figures are taken from Pension Strategy Computer System and include GB and overseas pensioners but exclude Northern Ireland cases. Speed Limiters
Viscount Simon asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What proportion of heavy goods vehicles and public service vehicles fitted with speed governors have been found to have defective governors at annual tests or at roadside checks over the last three years for which figures are available.[HL1355]
The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): The Vehicle Inspectorate records the number of vehicles checked at the roadside and at fleet inspections but it does not record whether the vehicle is fitted with a speed limiter. The examination of speed limiters requires the use of sophisticated electronic equipment by trained examiners and the check takes some time to complete. Speed limiter checks are carried out on vehicles where the examination of the tachograph charts leads the examiner to suspect that the speed limiter may be defective. A functional check of the speed limiter is not currently part of the annual test but will form part of the test from October 2002 to comply with the EU directive that requires the component to be checked at annual test from February 2003. The total number of vehicles checked at the roadside and fleet checks and the number of speed limiter defects found are set out in the table below.
| No. of checks | No. of speed | % of | |
| Year | (Note 1) | limiter defects | defects |
| 1999–2000 | 135,715 | 1,046 | 0.77 |
| 2000–01 | 127,076 | 1,663 | 1.31 |
| 2001–02 Half year | 54,927 | 865 | 1.57 |
Note 1: The number of vehicles checked includes HGVs and PSVs checked at the roadside and fleet inspections.
Lord Marlesford asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many United Kingdom driving licences are currently valid; and how many of these are machine-readable.[HL1210]
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: There are 38.9 million full and provisional valid driving licence records held at DVLA (10.2 million for photocards and 28.7 million for paper licences). None of these licences is machine-readable. However, DVLA intends to look at this aspect as a future development.
21 Nov 2001 : Column WA150
- Fuel Poverty
Lord Ashley of Stoke asked Her Majesty's Government:
What percentage of households containing one or more disabled persons receiving the higher or medium rate care component of disability living allowance or the higher mobility rate are in fuel poverty.[HL1200]
What percentage of households containing one or more disabled persons receiving either of the higher rates of disability living allowance are in fuel poverty.[HL1201]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): Information on fuel poverty is not available split by the rate of disability living allowance. However, figures are available on the percentage of households receiving the different components of the disability living allowance that are in fuel poverty. The latest available figures for England relate to 1996 and these are given in the table below. More up-to-date figures are not available at present.
Fuel poverty is a devolved matter and therefore it is for the respective assemblies and Parliament to report on the situation in Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
| Fuel poverty defined using income including housing benefit and ISMI(2) | Fuel poverty defined using income excluding housing benefit and ISMI(2) | |
| Households in receipt of DLA care component | 18% | 24% |
| Households in receipt of DLA mobility component | 24% | 32% |
| Households in receipt of either care or mobility components of DLA or both | 22% | 30% |
Source: English House Condition Survey 1996
(1) The information in the table is based on the head of household or their partner receiving the disability living allowance.
(2) Fuel poverty defined as when a household needs to spend more than 10 per cent of its income (including housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest) on fuel in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime.
(3) Fuel poverty defined as when a household needs to spend more than 10 per cent of its income (excluding housing benefit and income support for mortgage interest) on fuel in order to maintain a satisfactory heating regime.
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