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Secondly, this PPS will help speed up the shift to renewable and low-carbon energy by challenging councils to do more to support delivery of local renewable or local low-carbon energy—including through setting percentages of energy for new development to be generated from local renewables or low carbon sources such as microgeneration or community schemes. It also expects councils to think about the potential for local low-carbon energy generation and cutting carbon emissions when identifying the best sites for development.
Thirdly, local government has a critical role in ensuring that local communities and infrastructure are able to cope with the impact of climate change—not only the effects which are felt today, but also those that can be anticipated in the future. The PPS therefore reflects the central role of planning in shaping places that are resilient to climate change and habitats that sustain biodiversity.
We consulted on a draft of the climate change PPS at the beginning of the year and have considered very carefully the responses we received. The approach has received broad support. The final document being published today takes account of the detailed issues raised.
Moving towards a low-carbon economy is a huge challenge. It requires a revolution in the way that we design, heat and power our buildings, and a concerted effort from a huge number of organisations—from local authorities, to developers, to environmental groups and local communities themselves. It also requires collaborative and responsible working to ensure that change takes place alongside delivering the additional homes as well as the new jobs and regeneration we need. The policy set out in the PPS provides a strong framework for that degree of co-operation.
We are also publishing a draft PPS on sustainable economic development. The Barker review of land use planning showed that planning authorities do not always give sufficient weight to the potential economic benefits of new developments. This draft PPS seeks to ensure that local planning authorities take these benefits into account alongside relevant environmental and social issues.
It would require local authorities to identify and maintain a supply of land which caters for existing employment and business needs while also delivering the infrastructure and housing we need. It would require local authorities to respond positively to new proposals to promote economic development. However,
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Together, the policies outlined in these PPSs will deliver economic growth sustainably, promoting job creation while also helping to tackle climate change.
Postal Services Sector
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office & Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Lord Jones of Birmingham): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (John Hutton) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
The Government set out their vision for postal services in the UK in their 1999 White Paper Post Office Reform: A World Class Service for the 21st Century and took this forward in the Postal Services Act 2000. The Act had as its prime objective the maintenance of the universal postal service. It was designed to provide both social and business consumers with a more efficient and effective postal service through the introduction of competition and greater commercial freedoms for the Royal Mail to operate within a fully liberalised market while maintaining the provision of the universal postal service. We remain committed to this vision.
It is now seven years since the Act passed through Parliament and there have been significant developments since then.
The postal services market was fully liberalised by Postcomm nearly two years ago on 1 January 2006. The Government believe that this has brought considerable benefits for the users of postal services. Royal Mail has, through the efforts of management and postmen and women up and down the country, significantly improved its performance, delivering quality of service levels that in the last full year were at record breaking levels. New market entrants are providing increasing choice for consumers and pushing innovation in the industry.
The Government have demonstrated their commitment to seeing Royal Mail compete effectively in this new market place through an unprecedented level of additional investment—£2.1 billion in 2007—to enable the company to modernise. The result of the recent ballot on pay and modernisation means that management and staff have given the Royal Mail a mandate for modernisation.
It has become clear that the market conditions for all postal service operators are challenging, with growing evidence of e-substitution and more sophisticated use of mobile communication. Postcomm's Strategy Review, Postal Market 2010 and Beyond—Emerging Themes, published in August 2007 noted that the postal market is changing and that they expected market volumes to decline. The European Union, supported by the British Government, recently set a clear timetable for a fully liberalised European postal services market by the end of 2010.
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In the light of these significant developments, and in line with their manifesto commitment, the Government are launching a review of the postal services sector. The review will be led by an independent panel chaired by Richard Hooper and comprising Dame Deirdre Hutton and Ian Smith.
to assess the impacts to date of liberalisation of the UK postal services market, including on the Royal Mail, alternative carriers and consumers;to explore trends in future market development and the likely impact of these on Royal Mail, alternative carriers and consumers; and to consider how to maintain the universal service obligation in the light of trends and market developments identified.We are today issuing a call for evidence for the review so that the review panel's analysis of the market can take into account the view of the widest possible range of interests.
It is expected that the review will report its conclusions next year.
Qualifications and Assessment: Regulation and Development
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Lord Adonis): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (Ed Balls) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
I am today laying before Parliament, with the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, the joint command paper [Cm 7281] Confidence in Standards: Regulating and developing qualifications and assessment. Copies have been placed in the Library of both Houses.
On 26 September I announced that the Government would establish an independent regulator of qualifications and tests in England. The Office of the Qualifications and Examinations Regulator will be the guardian of standards across the tests and qualifications systems, building on the regulatory work of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority over the past 10 years. Confidence in Standards sets out the detail of these proposals and our plans to establish a development agency for curriculum, assessment and qualifications which will take forward the non-regulatory functions of the QCA. We are confident that these plans will give the public greater confidence in the standards of qualifications and assessments.
Our departments have launched a consultation on these proposals. The consultation materials are available from the DCSF website—www.dcsf.gov.uk/consultations/. This consultation will run until 10 March 2008.
Regional Development Agencies: Mid-Year Results
The Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office & Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (Lord Jones of Birmingham): My right honourable friend the Minister for State for
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I have published the reported mid-year output results for 2007-08 for England's regional development agencies.
The data show the progress made by the regional development agencies between April and September 2007 in delivering against the core output targets set in RDA corporate plans for 2005-08. The figures cover employment creation and support, business creation and support, leverage of public and private sector infrastructure investment, brownfield land reclamation/redevelopment, and skills development.
I am placing copies of the mid-year RDA output figures in the Library of the House, and the results have also been placed on the BERR website at www.BERR.gov.uk/regional/regional-dev-agencies/rda-performance/page42777.html.
Roads: Dartford Crossing
Lord Bassam of Brighton: My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Tom Harris) has made the following Ministerial Statement.
The Dartford-Thurrock Crossing charging scheme account for 2006-07 is published today under Section 3(1)(d) of the Trunk Road Charging Schemes (Bridges and Tunnels) (Keeping of Accounts) (England) Regulations 2003. A copy of the accounts will be placed in the House Library.
Schools: Buildings
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Children, Schools and Families (Lord Adonis): My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families (Ed Balls) has made the following Written Ministerial Statement.
Last week's Children's Plan set an ambition for all new school buildings to be zero carbon by 2016, and announced the appointment of a task force to advise on how to achieve this ambition.
I will set out the details of the membership and remit of the task force in the new year. In the mean time, we are taking action now to reduce carbon emissions in new school buildings while we work towards the zero carbon goal. I am announcing today details of 200 or so projects that we expect to benefit from an additional investment of £110 million over the next three years, with the intention of reducing carbon emissions by around 60 per cent. This provides an additional £50 per m2—about £500,000 for the average secondary school—to invest in energy efficiency and renewable energy measures on school sites.
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