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Marina Operators: Resale of Electricity, Gas and Water
Lord Corbett of Castle Vale asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What proposals they have to bring marine craft into line with current regulations, or with regulations due to come into force, in connection with the maximum resale price of electricity, gas and water by marina operators; and[HL5722]
What proposals they have to require marina operators to disclose how they intend to calculate the charges to consumers for electricity, gas and water; and[HL5724]
What regulations they intend to enforce on marina operators on the specification of metering equipment purchased and supplied for use by consumers of electricity, gas and water supplies; and[HL5725]
What regular inspection is made by whom to ensure that marina operators do not exceed the maximum resale prices for electricity, gas and water under the provisions of the Utilities Act 2000.[HL5726]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: Issues regarding water are for my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, who will provide a separate answer.
Regulations on the resale of gas and electricity are matters for the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem). In January this year Ofgem introduced revised maximum resale price rules for the resale of gas and electricity, to take effect from 1 January 2003. The changes were implemented after extensive consultation. The new arrangements provide important protection to those being resold gas and electricity, in that the resale has to be made at the same price as that paid to the supplier. These rules provide protection for users in a variety of different types of
accommodation, including domestic tenants and those using holiday apartments, caravans and chalets. If the occupants of boats, including houseboats, are using electricity and gas for similar purposes in these other forms of accommodation, they will enjoy the same protection. In order to demonstrate compliance with the rules, resellers including marina operators will be required, on request, to explain to their customers how their charges have been calculated. The new arrangements do not contain specific requirements on the metering arrangements which resellers can use. Ofgem has no powers to inspect compliance with the maximum resale price rules nor to enforce them. If a customer believes that they have been overcharged, and the issue cannot be resolved by negotiation, recovery of the overcharge may be pursued through the civil courts. The courts may require the resellers to provide information regarding the calculation of their charges.Single Equality Body and Human Rights
Lord Ashley of Stoke asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the terms of reference of the Single Equality Commission Project can be extended to include any machinery required to enforce respect for human rights.[HL5741]
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My honourable friend the Minister of State at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced the start of the project to consider the feasibility of, and options for, a single equality body in Great Britain earlier this year. The terms of reference of the project explicitly state that it will consider the relationships with human rights issues. I refer my noble friend to the reply the Lord Privy Seal gave to the noble Baroness, Lady Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, on 14 May 2002. (WA 38)
The Joint Committee on Human Rights is currently considering the case for a human rights commission and clearly our thinking will be informed by its conclusions.
Lord Ashley of Stoke asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether the terms of reference of the single equality commission project can be extended to include any machinery required to enforce respect for human rights.[HL5741]
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): My honourable friend the Minister of State at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced the start of the project to consider the feasibility of, and options for, a single equality body in Great Britain earlier this year. The terms of reference of the project explicitly state that it will consider the relationships with human
rights issues. I refer my noble friend to the reply the Lord Privy Seal gave to the noble Baroness, Lady Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, on 14 May 2002 (WA 38).The Joint Committee on Human Rights is currently considering the case for a human rights commission and clearly our thinking will be informed by its conclusions.
Disability Rights Commission: Funding
Lord Ashley of Stoke asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they will ensure that the Disability Rights Commission continues to receive the same level of funding irrespective of any decisions made about a single equality commission.[HL5743]
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: The Government see arguments in favour of a single equality body but do not yet have firm views on whether this is the right approach, what such a body might look like and its powers and functions. It is therefore too early to comment on the funding for disability or other equality strands.
Defra: Spending
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Further to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' departmental report 2002, why capital spending, both in terms of actual outturn and planned outturn for 2002–03 and 2003–04 is in every case more than £1 million above the departmental expenditure limit; and[HL4811]
Further to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs' departmental report 2002, why consumption of resources by executive agencies is estimated for 2001–02 and planned for 2002–03 and 2003–04 to be almost double that of 2000–01 although the number of agencies has remained constant.[HL4812]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): Tables 5.1 to 5.5 in the departmental report for 2002 contain a number of errors. These arose from differences in the way information is loaded on central data bases, complications with compiling historical information following the recent Machinery of Government changes, and the re-structuring of Defra with revised objectives that followed. Unfortunately, the tight timetable for producing these tables interfered with the quality assurance procedures that would normally have applied.
The department's quality assurance procedures are being revised to prevent similar errors in future. Meanwhile, work is in hand to re-issue corrected tables. This is a significant task involving the re-loading of central data bases which are subject to a
number of timetable constraints. The intention is to provide revised figures by the autumn.CAP Reform
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What implications they understand President Chirac's statement "vous pouvez compter sur moi pour veiller a ce que ni l'une [regional policy] ni l'autre [CAP] ne soient denature e ou de mantele e", contained in his speech made in Strasbourg on 6 March, to have for the reform of the common agricultural policy; and[HL5695]
Whether it is their understanding that the French government will seek to block reform of the common agriculture policy as it is presently proposed.[HL5696]
Lord Whitty: The Commission's proposals for the mid-term review of the common agricultural policy were only published on 10 July. Negotiations on these proposals have started but it is too early to predict what final package will emerge or what attitude individual member states might take towards them. Decisions in the Agriculture Council are taken by qualified majority voting.
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Given that reform of the common agricultural policy is a United Kingdom policy priority according to the HM Treasury document 2002 Spending Review: Public Service Agreements 2003–06 (Cm 5571), what action they intend to take towards other European Union member states who seek to block CAP reform.[HL5697]
Lord Whitty: During negotiations on reform of the CAP this autumn the Government will continue to argue that the current CAP is unsustainable and that we must take this opportunity for significant reform. We will be discussing reform of the CAP with all other member states.
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Given that reform of the common agricultural policy is a United Kingdom policy priority according to the HM Treasury document 2002 Spending Review: Public Service Agreements 2003–06 (Cm 5571), what timetable they have set for securing its reform.[HL5698]
Lord Whitty: We are still at an early stage of complex negotiations and the precise timetable is unclear. It is likely that agreement to a reform package will be reached during the first half of 2003.
Bio Fuels
Lord Palmer asked Her Majesty's Government:
- How often in 2002 Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs officials, having
- commissioned research work from academic institutions on biofuels or biomass, asked that drafts be reworked because the original did not suit the departmental position.[HL5719]
Lord Whitty: On no occasion. The department plans and manages independent research through its Science Directorate to inform the development of policy. All bioenergy research is published and the clarity of presentation is the only factor considered.
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