Written Answers to Questions
Monday 8 June 2009
Wales
Departmental Publications
Since January 2005 the Wales Office has published two booklets for public distribution. These were in addition to parliamentary papers.
The first booklet from March 2007 was produced to mark the 200 year anniversary of the abolition of the Slave Trade Act and was entitled Slavery and Wales with a print run of 12,000 at a cost of £3,925. These booklets were sent to Welsh MPs, Lords with Welsh interests, Assembly members, all primary and secondary schools in Wales, all libraries in Wales, all National Trust sites in Wales, the Waterfront Museum, the Paul Robeson Trust and local history groups. There was no cover charge.
The second booklet from May 2009 entitled Real Help for Wales Now provides a guide to the UK Government and Welsh Assembly Government initiatives available to help businesses and people through the recession. It had a print run of 2,000 at a cost of £3,444. These booklets were distributed to all Welsh MPs and Assembly members, all Welsh local authorities and Jobcentre Plus in Cardiff. Copies were also provided when meeting with businesses throughout Wales and to attendees at economic summits. Again there was no cover charge.
Leader of the House
Departmental Dismissal
No members of staff have been dismissed from the office since June 2007.
The office of the Leader of the House of Commons joined the Cabinet Office in 2007. Information from before this time can be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Northern Ireland
Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland: Publications
This is an operational matter for Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland, which operates independently of Government. I would encourage the hon. Lady to write to Dr. Michael Maguire, the Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice Inspection Northern Ireland.
Community Safety Partnerships: County Down
Organisations represented on the North Down Community Safety Partnership membership are:
North Down PSNI; Northern Ireland Housing Executive; Age Concern; North Down Community Network; Bangor and Holywood Town Centre Management; North Down Victim Support; Northern Ireland Probation Service; South Eastern Education and Library Board; Supporting Communities Northern Ireland; North Down District Policing Partnership; Bangor and Holywood Clergy Fellowship; South Eastern and Social Care Trust and Elected Representatives from North Down borough council (four UUP, four DUP, four Alliance and one Independent).
Details of the organisations in North Down which have received funding from the Partnership over the last three years along with how much each received is set out in the following table.
Funding Organisation 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 Total North Down Women's Aid 8,270 4,120 11,000 23,390 North Down Community Network 23,391 13,250 16,886 53,527 North Down Age Concern 6,200 12,700 21,125 40,025 North Down PSNI 7,900 4,750 0 12,650 Bangor and Holywood Town Centre Management 16,800 12,830 19,280 48,910 Comber Drugs Awareness Programme 2,500 £2,500 0 £5,000 Fountain Drug and Alcohol Programme 0 £26,000 0 £26,000 Bangor and Holywood Clergy Fellowship 0 £7,000 £8,359 £15,359 Bloomfield Community Association 0 1,490 0 1,490 Breezemount Community Association 0 1,207 0 1,207 Holywood Family Trust 0 980 0 980 Whitehill Community Association 0 1,400 0 1,400 Trinity Presbyterian Church 0 1,460 0 1,460 Kings Fellowship 0 1,426 0 1,426 Total 65,061 91,113 76,650 232,824
Crime: Wildlife
The creation of criminal offences and penalties is a reserved matter under the Northern Ireland Act 1998, and an Assembly Bill containing a reserved matter requires the consent of the Secretary of State. However, it is in practice for the relevant Northern Ireland Minister to decide how best to raise awareness of criminal offences within devolved policy areas such as wildlife. In the case of offences involving the protection of wildlife, this would fall to the Environment Minister.
Departmental Reviews
Summary information on taskforces and other standing bodies is available in the annual Cabinet Office publication, ‘Public Bodies’. Copies of ‘Public Bodies 2008’ are available in the Libraries of the House. Detailed information on ad hoc advisory bodies is published in the annual Northern Ireland Office departmental report and also on the departmental website:
www.nio.gov.uk
Information about reviews commissioned since the Department's creation is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Security
In the period specified, there were five security breaches in the Northern Ireland Prison Service, three in the Forensic Science agency and one in the Youth Justice Agency. There were no reported security breaches in the Compensation Agency.
When a breach of security involves the disclosure of personal data, the agencies follow the Northern Ireland Office incident response policy.
Departmental Stationery
We do not keep a record of the proportion of office supplies purchased that are recycled products. Our stationery suppliers provide a range of products made from recycled materials some of which we purchase.
Economic and Monetary Union
Euro Ministers are responsible for euro preparations in their Department and attend euro Ministers Steering Group meetings. Meetings are held only when necessary to discuss practical preparations to ensure a smooth changeover.
Industrial Health and Safety
Expenditure to ensure compliance with health and safety at work legislation can include various costs, such as building related works and training for staff.
Details of building works related to health and safety compliance are not recorded separately from general building works and therefore could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
My Department strives to ensure compliance with health and safety at work legislation through training and development of staff. Expenditure on health and safety training and development in each of the last five years is as follows:
£ 2004-05 1— 2005-06 8,170 2006-07 6,000 2007-08 6,000 2008-09 227,229 1 Staff costs only (training provided in-house). 2 Including the extension of a contract to enable health and safety e-learning training to be provided for all staff.
Mortgages
The Government do not hold this information. Such estimates may be available from commercial lenders or their representative bodies.
Culture, Media and Sport
Free Theatre Initiative
A Night Less Ordinary, which offers free theatre tickets to young people under 26, was launched by Arts Council England in February.
Data for the first quarter of the scheme are being collated and will be published by mid-July 2009.
Early feedback from participating venues and young theatre goers, alongside the impressive number of website visitors suggests that the scheme has proved immensely popular so far.
Economic Recovery
The cultural sector is already addressing the economic and social impacts of the recession and continues to contribute to recovery. The creative industries represent 6.4 per cent. of GVA and over the past decade have been growing faster than the economy as a whole. This comes at the end of a decade of record Government investment in culture.
Last month we published “Lifting People, Lifting Places”, outlining how Government can offer further support, by developing employment opportunities in culture and the creative industries, measures to transform town centres and other approaches to building the new economy with culture and creativity at its heart.
Digital Switchover
Audio description is referred to across Digital UK’s communications campaign and on its website. It is also included in the information and materials distributed by Digital UK to a range of charities. Digital UK and the Switchover Help Scheme also work in partnership with the Royal National Institute for the Blind who run their own awareness campaigns.
Community Sport
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell).
Local Media
The local media summit on 28 April 2009 explored the issues and challenges facing local and regional news and media. This will be taken forward in the final Digital Britain report due to be published shortly.
Cricket
This information is not held by my Department. The England and Wales Cricket Board have been awarded £37.8 million to deliver their 2009-13 plan for the whole of cricket, the largest award made to any sport. Through the PE and School Sport Strategy for Young People we are also investing £25.5 million in a new network of competition managers, who will co-ordinate inter-school competition for a variety of sports, including cricket.
Community Arts: Coventry
Arts Council England (ACE) invested £1,579,691 in regularly funded organisations in Coventry in 2006-07; £1,722,974 in 2007-08 and £1,823,059 in 2008-09. Many of these organisations are actively engaged in community arts and a proportion of their core funding supports this work. ACE also awarded grants for the arts awards of £5,000 in 2006-07; £14,218 in 2007-08 and £5,000 in 2008-09 to projects with a specific focus on, or element of, community arts.
UK Television Content
My predecessor my right hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Andy Burnham) had regular discussions with all the commercial broadcasters to discuss a wide range of issues, including their funding of original UK television content.
Tourism
The position is mixed. While spend in some areas appears to be down, other parts of the domestic tourism industry have received a boost from favourable currency exchange rates. There are still significant opportunities opening up from which the industry will benefit. These include the unprecedented decade of world class sporting events on which we are embarking, and in particular the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.
It is clear however that these remain challenging times for the industry.
Horserace Betting Levy Board
The chair position was first advertised in March 2009. We received fewer applications than we would normally expect for such a role and we therefore re-advertised the position, with a closing date of 19 June. Recruitment consultants have been engaged to help us make the most of this additional time. The new applications attracted, together with those received earlier, will be assessed on an equal basis against the original selection criteria.
Play: Finance
I have been asked to reply.
63 local authorities began receiving play funding from April 2008. This was the first wave of the children's plan play capital investment programme. The National Play Strategy, which was published in December 2008, announced that Government would be accelerating the capital programme so that all of the remaining 89 top tier local authorities in England would receive funding from April 2009 as wave 2 of the investment programme. This means that all 152 local authorities will be receiving play capital, and associated revenue, funding during the 2009-10 financial year.
The conditions of grant letter, issued in February 2009, outlined that local authorities would receive their capital and revenue allocations in two equal payments during 2009-10. By the end of May, local authorities received the first payment of this financial year. Tables which show the allocations for each local authority to the end of the current financial year have been placed in the House Libraries.
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Climate Change
It is not currently possible to provide estimates of the potential costs and savings over the next three years. The Government are undertaking a climate change risk assessment and economic analysis, which will provide estimates of the costs and benefits of adaptation to the UK. This analysis will be presented to Parliament within three years of the Climate Change Act 2008 coming in to force.
Departmental Cost Effectiveness
A full breakdown of all allocative efficiencies (the reassignment of resources from lower to higher priority areas) achieved for 2008-09 and forecasts for 2009-10 and 2010-11 are scheduled to be published in our 2009 departmental report next month. The report will be available in hard copy and on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website. A copy of the report will be placed in the Library of the House.
Departmental Data Protection
In 2008-09, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office reported no losses of personal data to the Information Commissioner.
EU Institutions: Manpower
There have been no specific projections made. The Government are clear that it is in the EU and UK's interests to be fully represented and to have UK officials working at the heart of the EU's institutions.
EU Relations
For the EU, democracy is both a core value and an essential aspect of internal and external policies. There is growing agreement among EU member states on the need to develop an EU consensus on democracy that sets out the EU vision. The aim of the consensus would be to implement existing EU policies on democracy more effectively, focusing on consistency, coherence and co-ordination in the use of the instruments available to the EU. It would bring about change in as much as EU activities will be designed and implemented in ways that support democratic processes and strengthen democratic principles. The consensus would also clarify the EU’s position and make it more visible so that not only third countries, but also EU citizens, know what we mean when we talk about democracy and the principles and values that sustain it.
The UK is working with the Czech presidency of the EU along with other EU member states, the Council Secretariat and the Commission to draw up this coherent EU approach. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has played an active role in the EU working group and will support the upcoming Swedish presidency in working towards Council Conclusions in November 2009 with the aim of developing an EU consensus.
European Union
[holding answer 12 May 2009]: My noble Friend, the Minister for Africa, Asia and the UN, Lord Malloch-Brown, met with the EU Special Representative (EUSR), Ettore Sequi, on 25 November 2008 during his visit to the UK. Senior officials, including representatives from both our embassy in Kabul and the UK's Permanent Representation to the EU (UKRep) regularly meet with the EUSR to discuss Afghanistan. Most recently, our ambassador to the Political and Security Committee, Tim Barrow, met the EUSR on 8 May 2009.
Hezbollah
On 9 January 2009 our ambassador in Beirut attended a meeting of British parliamentarians with the Lebanese Foreign Affairs Committee. Representatives of all members of the National Unity Government were present, including one MP from Hezbollah's political wing, Ali Amar. During this meeting the ambassador urged all sides to show restraint during the crisis in Gaza, and the importance of all sides respecting the terms of UN Security Council resolution 1701. In the course of normal diplomatic business, staff at our embassy in Beirut have also met Hezbollah politicians on a number of occasions. However, there have been no official meetings since 9 January.
We continue to believe that occasional and carefully considered contacts with Hezbollah's politicians, including its MPs, will best advance our objective of urging Hezbollah to reject violence and play a constructive, democratic and peaceful role in Lebanese politics, in line with UN Security Council resolutions.
India: Prisoners
In 2009 we have received six letters from members of the public and one parliamentary question regarding the detention of Dr. Binayak Sen by the Indian authorities.
Working with EU colleagues in India, we have registered our concern with the central Government, writing to the Ministry of External Affairs, the National Human Rights Commission and a number of senior political leaders about the case.
Dr. Sen was granted bail on 25 May 2009. The EU has sent observers to the various stages of his judicial hearings so far and plans to attend the next trial session expected to be held in June 2009.
The rights of human rights defenders including Dr. Sen, were discussed at the EU-India Human Rights Dialogue held on 27 February 2009. Our high commission in New Delhi and EU colleagues will continue to monitor this case in cooperation with non-governmental organisations in accordance with EU guidance for the protection of human rights defenders.
Kosovo: Foreign Relations
The UK established its embassy in Pristina on 18 February 2008, the day after the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Kosovo. The current British ambassador to Kosovo is Mr. Andrew Sparkes CMG.
Kosovo's Chargé d'Affaires to the UK was appointed on 20 October 2008. The embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in London was officially opened on 2 March 2009.
North Korea: Nuclear Power
We do not know whether the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) has drawn on plans of British reactors in the production of its own reactors. The reactor at Yongbyon, while much smaller, has generic similarities to certain UK Magnox reactors, design information for which has been in the public domain for over 30 years.
The International Atomic Energy Authority provides regular reports to its board of governors, of which we are a member, on its activities in the DPRK. In addition to public statements from my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary, I expressed the Government's strong condemnation of the nuclear test to the DPRK ambassador to London on 25 May 2009 and again on 1 June 2009. Our ambassador in Pyongyang made representations in DPRK to the Director Europe at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 2 June 2009 to reiterate our concerns. We are working with partners at the UN Security Council to deliver a strong response to the test.
Nuclear Weapons
The UN Conference on Disarmament formally adopted a Programme of Work (CD/1863) on 29 May 2009 which includes negotiations on a fissile material cut-off treaty (FMCT) based on the 1995 Shannon mandate.
We welcome this decision. Opening negotiations on an FMCT has long been a UK objective.
Pakistan: Religious Freedom
Officials at our high commission in Islamabad are monitoring Mr. David's case. The next court hearing is scheduled for 16 June 2009. While legal proceedings are in progress, we are unable to intervene. As such we have not specifically raised Mr. David's case with the Government of Pakistan.
Bilaterally and with our EU partners we have raised the frequent abuse of Pakistan's blasphemy legislation and have called for reform or repeal of these discriminatory laws.
Republic of Ireland: Treaty of Lisbon
I am not aware of how much the EU has spent on providing information in Ireland specifically on the treaty of Lisbon. I understand that the European Commission will provide €1.8 million for 2009 and 2010 to improve the provision of public information on the EU in Ireland. Similar arrangements exist in other EU member states. Communications activities will cover a large variety of European policy areas. For 2009, the priorities are the European Parliament elections, energy and climate change, 20th anniversary of the democratic changes in Central and Eastern Europe and Europe’s response to the financial crisis and economic slowdown.
Further information can be found on the European Commission’s website at:
http://ec.europa.eu/ireland/press_office/news_of_the_day/public-info-contr_en.htm
Tibet: Politics and Government
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office makes regular assessments of the political and human rights situation in Tibet.
Staff from our embassy in Beijing were most recently able to visit Tibet in May this year. There they were able to assess the situation of the Tibetan people, and found that many monasteries were able to carry out daily religious rites without obvious interference, though there was clear evidence of continued government restrictions in matters such as the numbers of monks and reverence of the Dalai Lama. In general security force presence had returned to similar levels as before the riots in March 2008. The exception was in the old town of Lhasa where there had been a visible increase. Embassy representatives heard that in future access to Tibet for foreigners, including tourists and official visitors would continue to ease. I intend to pursue our concerns in further detail during my own visit to Tibet later next month.
Olympics
Shooting Venue
I have received around 140 representations since the Olympic Board confirmed Woolwich as the shooting venue in March, including from the hon. Member and 116 other MPs on behalf of their constituents, Southern Counties Shooting Limited and other members of the public.
Environmental Sustainability
Sustainability was at the heart of our bid to host the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and remains so—we are fully committed to ensuring both the Olympic and Paralympic Games are the most sustainable of modern times.
The Games in London will set new standards of sustainable development, with the Olympic Park and venues being designed and built according to sustainable principles.
At the sailing venue in Weymouth and Portland for example, 15-20 per cent. of its electricity is generated by on-site solar panels, all captured rain water is being recycled, and sustainable transport networks are being installed to and from the venue, from cycling and walking paths, to park and ride schemes.
Sporting and Cultural Activities
I meet regularly with local authorities in my visits around the country and there are regular discussions between my officials and local authorities on a wide range of Games related issues.
The London 2012 Open Weekend will be held across the UK between 24-26 July 2009.1 encourage local authorities, sports, arts, and cultural organisations to register their projects as part of the London 2012 Inspire programme and to showcase their work at Open Weekend.
Already over 90 Cultural Olympiad projects are included as part of the Inspire programme.
Paralympics
The Olympic Games and Paralympic Games in London 2012 will set new standards in accessibility for venues, accommodation and transport, providing a greater athlete, official and spectator experience.
For the first time the Paralympic Games is fully integrated into the organising committee's plans. We are committed to delivering full arenas, accessible infrastructure, and of course more British medals.
Apprenticeships
In January this year, the ODA announced that an additional 250 apprenticeships would be created on the Olympic Park and Village, bringing the total number to 350. To achieve this, the ODA will mandate that apprentices make up 3 per cent. of project work forces for the remaining £500 million worth of contracts. This exceeds the industry average for London and the south-east.
This increases the ODA's overall target for trainees, apprentices and work placements to 2,250.
Defence
Afghanistan: Peacekeeping Operations
[holding answer 3 March 2009]: We record information relating to flight delays, but we do not centrally hold information on why individual travellers are delayed or the purpose of their travel. Therefore, this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave on 27 October 2008, Official Report, columns 622-63W, to the right hon. and learned Member for Devizes (Mr. Ancram).
Apprentices
In the 2007-08 reporting period, the Department delivered 8,758 armed forces and civil service apprentice completions. The apprenticeships detailed in my written answer on 24 February 2009, Official Report, column 741W, refers to a specific pilot scheme for civil servants and not the entire departmental number of apprentice completions. The Department will collate the details of armed forces and civil service apprentice completions during 2008-09 in August 2009. At this stage, we can not compare figures from both 2007-08 and 2008-09.
Armed Forces: Foreigners
Personnel data by regiment are not held in the format requested. However, the following Army figures provided are available.
Army/Service Number1 of personnel with a Commonwealth nationality Percentage of personnel with a Commonwealth nationality Total 6,380 6.8 Staff 0 0 HCAV/RAC 250 4.5 RA 635 8.8 RE 375 4.2 R SIGNALS 180 2.3 INF 1,725 7.4 AAC 100 4.8 RAChD * * RLC 1,995 13.5 RAMC 230 78 REME 340 3.6 AGC (RMP) 20 1.2 AGC (SPS) 335 9.6 AGC (MPS) * * AGC(ETS) 5 2.0 AGC(ALS) * * AGC (Unknown) 5 12.8 RAVC 5 2.4 SASC 0 0 RADC 55 14.4 INT CORPS * * APTC * * QARANC 95 11.7 CAMus 10 1.5 GSC 0 0 LSL * * No Value 0 0 1 denotes provisional. Due to the ongoing validation of data on the Joint Personnel Administration System all Army data from 1 April 2007 are provisional and subject to review. Notes: 1. Percentages have been calculated using a denominator that includes all trained regular strength with a known nationality. It therefore excludes FTRS and Gurkhas but includes those individuals who have transferred from GURTAM to UKTAP. 2. Totals have been rounded to the nearest 10 for presentation purposes. 3. Data have been rounded to the nearest 5 to limit disclosure and ensure confidentiality 4. Data less than 5 have been suppressed and replaced with ‘*’. 5. Totals have been rounded separately and so may not appear to be the sum of their parts.
Defence: Finance
The estimate of the running costs contained within the White Paper does not include an allocation for those occasions when conventional forces are used to support the deterrent but does include the initial decommissioning costs for the replacement submarines.
Departmental Pay
The performance award arrangements for staff in the Ministry of Defence are part of the continuous performance management process between managers and staff throughout the year. Although the culmination of the performance management process may result in a performance payment being made, the expenditure on the various constituents of the process which contribute towards the final payment of the award could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Ex-servicemen: Mental Health
It has been the policy of successive Governments that the NHS should be the main provider of treatment for veterans. The NHS is therefore taking the lead for the six Community Mental Health pilots; the MOD has provided the start up costs for the six pilot sites and will meet the costs of the evaluation, £0.5 million. Veterans are also designated as a Special Interest Group (SIG) in the Department of Health's £173 million Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) Programme. In addition, to assist those veterans not in the catchment areas of one of the pilots, we have expanded our Medical Assessment Programme (MAP) based at St. Thomas' hospital, London, to include assessment of veterans with mental health symptoms with operational service since 1982.
Ex-servicemen: Vocational Guidance
I will write to the hon. member.
Substantive answer from Kevan Jones to Dr. Fox:
I undertook to write to you with an answer to your Parliamentary Question on 14 May 2009, Official Report, column 948W. I am now able to provide a breakdown of spend per financial year on the Career Transition Partnership Scheme. The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) is a partnership between the Ministry of Defence and Right Management Consultants. As you may be aware, the inception of the CTP contract was in October 1998, which is why the spend figure for financial year 1998-99 is lower than subsequent years.
The figure for spend in each financial year is shown in the table below, these figures exclude VAT.
Financial year Spend1 (£ million) 1998-99 2.1 1999-2000 5.7 2000-01 6.2 2001-02 6.4 2002-03 6.3 2003-04 6.5 2004-05 7.1 2005-06 8.2 2006-07 8.9 2007-08 9.0 2008-09 8.2 1Rounded to nearest £100,000.
Fremington Army Camp
(2) if he will estimate the disposal value of the site of Fremington Army Camp (a) with and (b) without the enhanced access route necessary for planning permission for the site's development.
Fremington Camp, built in 1943, provides classrooms, accommodation and associated facilities for personnel conducting operational driver crew training at Braunton Burrows. The Cadets and University Officer Training Corps also use Fremington Camp between June and August.
It was confirmed last month that as the camp has reached the end of its economic life, its usage will be run down in line with its planned closure in March 2010.
Although a market valuation has been carried out for internal decision making purposes, it is not our policy to release such valuations as to do so could influence the market, and thus potentially disadvantage the taxpayer in the event of a disposal.
Kenley Airfield
The cost of purchasing and delivering the pedestrian safety barriers to Kenley airfield was £11,250 excluding VAT. The labour costs associated with installation were £425 excluding VAT. RAF personnel also assisted with installation.
Maritime Airborne Surveillance System Programme
We expect to make our main investment decision next year, at which point costs will be known.
Met Office: Floods
Noting the key role it plays in flood risk management, the Met Office is committed to improving its forecasting capability to meet the needs of emergency responders. Following a major investment in supercomputing it is already exploiting a new, highly detailed, forecast model that provides significantly improved support for the issue of flood related warnings. Building on this capability, in line with recommendation 3 of the Pitt review, the Met Office has developed a detailed research plan and started work which will further enhance its ability to forecast local-scale heavy rainfall events and further increase the amount of warning it is able to give to responders for such events. This research programme is due to be completed by summer 2012 in line with the timetable outlined by the Government in response to the Pitt review, although some benefits will be realised before this.
Military Vehicles: Procurement
It is anticipated that deliveries to Afghanistan of both Jackal 2 and Coyote will commence in July 2009.
Motor Vehicles
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has two lease agreements in place for the provision of the majority of non-operational cars, i.e. white fleet vehicles. During FY 2008-09 the provision of leased vehicles under the UK and British Forces Germany white fleet contracts cost the Department approximately £82 million. It is not possible to separate the cost of maintaining the leased vehicles because the daily rate charge for vehicle provision includes the cost to the contractor of procuring the vehicles, routine servicing and maintenance, the provision of a recovery service, eventual disposal of the vehicle, and administrative overheads incurred by the service provider.
White fleet vehicles are leased for use in non-deployable administrative and support roles and transporting personnel and equipment. All MOD personnel, both military and civilian, are eligible to use white fleet vehicles on authorised duty journeys. The control and management of these vehicles is undertaken at unit level. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
Navy
HM Ships Ocean, Illustrious, Manchester, Cornwall, Cumberland, Portland, Somerset, Northumberland, Richmond, Westminster, Kent, and St. Albans are currently deployed with one or more helicopters.
The documents in question were not MOD property; they belonged to a defence engineering supplier who had arranged for them to be taken to the TNT archive facility in Swadlincote.
The circumstances and the content of the boxes have, however, been examined by Defence Equipment and Support security staff who are satisfied that none of the documents were classified above restricted and did not represent a security risk. I have been reassured that the company have put improved processes in place to prevent a recurrence.
Navy: Deployment
It is not the Department’s policy to keep Royal Navy warships at sea for longer periods when required operationally by routinely allocating two crews to each vessel. The Royal Navy has traditionally employed different manning solutions on different platforms, depending on operational and personnel needs. Recent trials of more naval approaches have shown no advantage over this traditional, mixed approach.
RAF St. Athan
Construction at the St. Athan site will begin shortly after Contract Signature for the Defence Training College, which is anticipated to be signed in the summer of 2010.
Reserve Forces: Manpower
There is no fixed timetable set for reaching the target personnel establishment. However, it will be achieved as soon as possible, subject to normal recruiting and resource constraints, which is anticipated to take a number of years.
Submarines
I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 22 January 2009, Official Report, column 1667W. The Astute programme is currently being re-baselined and I will make an announcement in due course.
Trident
It is not normal for Parliament to be involved in Initial Gate decisions for procurement projects. I do however propose to update Parliament on progress following the Initial Gate decision.
The main investment decision point, and the point at which we would issue the main contracts to industry for the construction of the new submarines, is still several years away.
No. On 14 March 2007 the House of Commons voted by a significant margin to accept the recommendations set out in the December 2006 White Paper “The UK’s Future Nuclear Deterrent”. There has been no substantive change in international security since then that would suggest that a further vote is required.
Weapons
During the last 12 months the following losses were reported, all of which relate to the armed forces:
Number Pistols 5 Rifles 6 Sub Machine Guns 1 Machine Guns 3
The approximate total value of these weapons was £22,000. No reliable figures are available with regard to ammunition losses.
Transport
A1: Gateshead
The Department for Transport and the Highways Agency are continuing work on options to address traffic pressures on the A1 Western Bypass in Gateshead, including consideration of major improvements and possible “quick wins”. In taking this work forward the Highways Agency is also liaising with officers from both Gateshead and Newcastle councils, mindful of possible complementary measures that may be introduced following Tyne and Wear region's earlier ‘People in Motion’ study.
In addition a number of smaller scale operational improvements are planned including improvements to signalisation, road markings, signing, slip roads, safety barriers and driver information.
Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission
At the last meeting of the Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission on 27 May, the items discussed were:
Security and border control issues
Safety: Channel Tunnel Safety Authority (CTSA) Report
Eurotunnel formal submissions
European issues
Questions to raise with Eurotunnel
The Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission met six times in the last 12 months on the following dates:
24 July 2008
24 September 2008
26 November 2008
26 January 2009
26 March 2009
27 May 2009.
Channel Tunnel Railway Line: Fares
The Intergovernmental Commission does not set charges for train traffic through the Channel Tunnel. These are set in the Rail Usage Contract and the Network Statement, which is a matter for Eurotunnel.
Driving Offences: Convictions
It is for the police and the Crown Prosecution Service to pursue a prosecution where a driver fails to notify Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) of a medical condition that affects their ability to drive safely. DVLA is not aware of any convictions for failure to notify a medical condition in the last five years.
Driving Tests: Motorcycles
The latest forward booking times, in weeks, for the practical motorcycling test (modules 1 and 2) are:
Forward booking date at: Module one Module two 4 May 2009 2 2 11 May 2009 3 3 18 May 2009 4 3 25 May 2009 3 2 1 June 2009 3 2 Average 3 2.4
We estimate that 88 per cent. and 97 per cent. of the population are within 20 miles or 45 minutes of a centre delivering module 1 and 2 tests respectively.
Between September 2008 and October 2009, the fee increase percentage for a practical car test was 9.7 per cent. (£56.50 to £62); the increase for the on-road element of the motorcycle test was 25 per cent. (£60 to £75).
The main reason for the difference in increase was that the Driving Standards Agency implemented fee increases for its main activities, including practical car tests, in April 2008. Owing to the expectation of the changes being made to the practical motorcycle test later in that year, the fee increase for that test was delayed until the end of September 2008.
A more appropriate comparison is therefore to compare fee levels in March 2008 and October 2009, which include two general fee increases for both activities. This shows an increase in car test fees of 28 per cent. (£48.50 to £62) compared to an increase of 25 per cent. (£60 to £75) for the comparable element of the motorcycle test.
Utilising existing testing facilities was considered as part of the Driving. Standards Agency's development of options for implementing the new motorcycling test.
The more demanding manoeuvres required and assessed in module 1 need to be conducted off the public highway for road safety purposes. None of the existing test centres had the necessary facilities to offer off-road manoeuvring areas.
Where suitable existing test centres are available they are used to deliver module 2 of the new practical motorcycle test which is delivered on public roads.
Fisheries
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has commissioned three pieces of research on fishing vessels in the last four years. These are:
Suitability of stability criteria applied to small fishing vessels and associated survivability
Loading guidance for fishing vessels less than 12 m registered length phase II
Simplified presentation of fv stability information for vessels 12 m registered length and over phase II.
These reports are available on the MCA’s website:
www.mcga.gov.uk
under the news and publications—research menu item.
Lorries
This information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Motor Vehicles
[holding answer 4 June 2009]: Tables providing the requested information as at 31 December 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008 have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Railways: Floods
The review into the 2007 floods conducted by Sir Michael Pitt provided a recommended action for the rail industry to develop plans to provide emergency welfare support to passengers stranded on the rail network. As a result, the Department for Transport has worked with Network Rail to review the current practice in relation to the recommendation.
This practice allows for passengers caught on the network to be given food, drink and any necessary items where conditions require. It does, however, remain the priority of Network Rail to remove passengers from trains, stations and other related areas as soon as it is safe to do so.
Roads: Salisbury
Network Rail's Control Period 4 Delivery Plan published on 31 March 2009 indicates that work is due to commence in late 2010, for completion in early 2014.
South West Trains
A copy of the franchise agreement with South West Trains has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Travel Concessions (Eligible Services) (Amendment) Order 2009
Local authorities have been involved throughout the policy development. They are represented on both the Concessionary Travel Working Group (CFWG), which requested that the Department revisited the existing order, and the sub-group which was established to examine the issue in detail and develop proposals for change.
There was a public consultation on the proposals, to which 66 local authorities responded with the clear majority in favour of the proposals. Both the CFWG and the sub-group also had the opportunity to comment on the draft order before it was laid before Parliament.
Wolverton Station: Repairs and Maintenance
This project is being funded and delivered by Milton Keynes council. The hon. Member should contact the group manager—transport development at the following address for a response to his questions.
Milton Keynes council
Civic Offices
1 Saxon Gate East
Central Milton Keynes
MK9 3EJ
Home Department
Alcoholic Drinks: Crime
The number of persons cautioned for alcohol related behaviour offences in Wales, by police force area and age group, 2003 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in table 1. The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.
The number of persons proceeded against at magistrates courts for alcohol related behaviour offences in Wales, by police force area and age group, 2003 to 2007 (latest available) can be viewed in table 2.
The statistics in table 2 relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offence for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe.
A Penalty Notice for Disorder (PND) may also be issued by the police for certain alcohol related offences such as being drunk and disorderly and drunk in a highway. The number of persons issued with a PND for alcohol related behaviour offences in Wales, by police force area and age group, 2004 to 2007 (latest available) are given in table 3. The PND Scheme was implemented in all 43 police force areas in England and Wales in 2004.
Data for 2008 will be available in the autumn of 2009.
Table 1: The number of persons cautioned for alcohol related behaviour offences1 in Wales, by police force area and age group, 2003 to 20072,3,4Police force area20032004200520062007Age 10-17Age 18-24Age 10-17Age 18-24Age 10-17Age 18-24Age 10-17Age 18-24Age 10-17Age 18-24Dyfed-Powys24473445303527382936Gwent37787114250768775146North Wales78636152612544142419South Wales51151991989215239461622Total190339201306225262186185144223 1 Includes offences under the: Licensing Act 1872 s.12; Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 ss.1(2)(3)(4) and 1A(2)(3)(4), 2(1)(2), 5B(2)(3), 5C(3)(4), 5D(2)(3), 6(2); Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 s. 1; Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 ss.12, 17, 25(3)(a)(b), 25(4)(5), 32; Criminal Justice Act 1967 s.91; Licensing Act 1964 ss. 5C(5), 6, 6, 19, 28(3), 34, 36, 39(1)(2)(3)(4), 45, 48, 51(4), 53, 59(1)(a)(b), 71(4), 72, 84, 85(2), 89, 155(1)(a), 157(1)(a)(b), 157(1)(b), 159, 160,(1 )(a)(b), 161(1)(2), 162, 163, 164(1)(2), 165, 166(1)(a)(b), 167, 168A, 168(1)(2), 169A, 169B, 169C(1)(2)(3), 169E(1), 169F, 169G, 170, 171A(1), 172, 172A, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179A(6), 179B(5)(6), 179E(8), 179H(2), 181A(1)(2)(3), 183(1)(2)(3), 184, 185, 186, 187(3)(4), 188, 193(7) Sch.8 Appendix C s. 6, Appendix D; Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 s.1; Licensing Act 2003 ss. 33, 40, 41, 46, 49, 56, 57, 59, 82, 83, 93, 94, 96, 108, 109, 123, 127, 128, 132, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 147A, 148, 149(1)(3)(4)(7(a)(b), 150(1)(2), 151, 152, 153, 156, 157, 158, 160, 161, 165, 168, 179, 197, Sch.8 paras 1 and 22; Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 ss. 11,27; Road Traffic Act 1991 s. 3; Late Night Refreshment Houses Act 1969 ss. 7(2), 8, 9(1 )(4), 10; Town Police Clauses Act 1847 ss. 35, 61; London Hackney Carriage Act 1843 s.28; Merchant Shipping Act 1995 s.101(1)(a)(b), (4) and (5); Licensing Act 1902 ss.2, 6(2)(a)(b); similar provisions in Local Acts; Road Traffic Act ss.4(1)(2) s.5(1)(a)(b), s.6(4), s.7(6); Road Traffic Act 1988 ss. 3A, 7A as added by Police Reform Act 2002 s.56, Transport and Works Act 1992 S.31A as added by Police Reform Act 2002 s.52; Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 s.3 [Sch. Para. 2, 3(a)(b), 4(1)(2)(3), 5, 6, 7, 8(2), 9(2)]; Licensing Act 1988 s. 17, 18; Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, s. 19; Children and Young Persons Act 1933 s. 5; Criminal Justice Act 1996 s. 6.2 The cautions statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with. When a defendant has been cautioned for two or more offences at the same time the principal offence is the more serious offence.3 From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 came into force nationally and removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. These figures have been included in the totals.4 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit [IOS 224-09].
Police force area 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Age 10-17 Age 18-24 Age 10-17 Age 18-24 Age 10-17 Age 18-24 Age 10-17 Age 18-24 Age 10-17 Age 18-24 Dyfed-Powys 29 298 37 336 26 281 31 266 26 286 Gwent 36 456 56 450 57 418 64 411 73 464 North Wales 101 560 85 532 61 405 54 432 49 411 South Wales 101 985 128 1,044 103 1,102 73 876 72 783 Total 267 2,299 306 2,362 247 2,206 222 1,985 220 1,944 1 Includes offences under the: Licensing Act 1872 s.12; Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol etc) Act 1985 ss.1(2)(3)(4) & 1A(2)(3)(4), 2(1) (2), 5B(2)(3), 5C(3)(4), 5D(2)(3), 6(2); Confiscation of Alcohol (Young Persons) Act 1997 s. 1; Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 ss.12, 17, 25(3)(a)(b), 25(4)(5), 32; Criminal Justice Act 1967 s.91; Licensing Act 1964 ss. 5C(5), 6, 6, 19, 28(3), 34, 36, 39(1)(2)(3)(4), 45, 48, 51(4), 53, 59(1)(a)(b), 71(4), 72, 84, 85(2), 89, 155(1)(a), 157(1)(a)(b), 157(1)(b), 159, 160,(1)(a)(b), 161(1)(2), 162, 163, 164(1)(2), 165, 166(1)(a)(b), 167, 168A, 168(1)(2), 169A, 169B, 169C(1)(2)(3), 169E(1), 169F, 169G, 170, 171A(1), 172, 172A, 173, 174, 175, 176, 177, 178, 179A(6), 179B(5)(6), 179E(8), 179H(2), 181A(1)(2)(3), 183(1)(2)(3), 184, 185, 186, 187(3)(4), 188, 193(7) Sch.8 Appendix C s. 6, Appendix D; Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 s.1; Licensing Act 2003 ss. 33, 40, 41, 46, 49, 56, 57, 59, 82, 83, 93, 94, 96, 108, 109, 123, 127, 128, 132, 134, 135, 136, 137, 138, 140, 141, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 147A, 148, 149(1)(3)(4)(7(a)(b), 150(1)(2), 151, 152, 153, 156, 157, 158, 160, 161, 165, 168, 179, 197, Sch.8 paras 1 and 22; Violent Crime Reduction Act 2006 ss. 11, 27; Road Traffic Act 1991 s. 3; Late Night Refreshment Houses Act 1969 ss. 7(2), 8, 9(1 )(4), 10; Town Police Clauses Act 1847 ss. 35, 61; London Hackney Carriage Act 1843 s.28; Merchant Shipping Act 1995 s.101(1)(a)(b), (4) & (5); Licensing Act 1902 ss.2, 6(2)(a)(b); similar provisions in Local Acts; Road Traffic Act ss.4(1)(2) s.5(1)(a)(b), s.6(4), s.7(6); Road Traffic Act 1988 ss. 3A, 7A as added by Police Reform Act 2002 s.56, Transport and Works Act 1992 S.31A as added by Police Reform Act 2002 s.52; Licensing (Occasional Permissions) Act 1983 s.3 [Sch. Para. 2, 3(a)(b), 4(1)(2)(3), 5, 6, 7, 8(2), 9(2)]; Licensing Act 1988 s. 17,18; Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994, s. 19; Children and Young Persons Act 1933 s. 5; Criminal Justice Act 1996 s. 6. 2 These data are on the principal offence basis. 3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit [IOS 224-09].
Police force area 2004 2005 2006 2007 Age 10-17 Age 18-24 Age 10-17 Age 18-24 Age 10-17 Age 18-24 Age 10-17 Age 18-24 Dyfed-Powys 14 88 25 175 20 183 15 125 Gwent 6 71 26 122 19 177 19 129 North Wales 57 362 123 636 176 724 149 638 South Wales 1 46 45 305 91 430 25 202 Total 78 567 219 1,238 306 1,514 208 1,094 1 Includes offences under the: Criminal Justice Act 1967 s. 91; Licensing Act 2003 s. 141, 146(1)(3), 149(1)(3)(4), 150(1)(2), 151; Licensing Act 1872 s. 12; Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001 s. 12; 2 The offence of being ‘drunk and disorderly’ moved from the lower tier (£50) to the upper tier (£80) on 1st November 2004; Sale of alcohol to a person under 18, Purchasing alcohol for a person under 18, Delivery of alcohol to a person under 18 or allowing such delivery, Consumption of alcohol by a person under 18 on relevant premises, Allowing consumption of alcohol by a person under 18 on relevant premises, were added to the scheme on 1 November 2004; Sale of alcohol to a drunken person, Buying or Attempting to buy alcohol by a person under 18, were added to the Scheme with effect from 4 April 2005. 3 Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source: Office for Criminal Justice Reform—Evidence and Analysis Unit [IOS 224-09].
Alcoholic Drinks: Young People
The available figures are shown in the following table.
The total amount of fines calculated is based on principal offences and primary disposals only.
The data provided gives the whole amount of fines imposed which will always be higher than the amount collected.
£ Offence 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to person under 18 — 320 1,400 — — Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to person under 181 or sale of alcohol to person under 182 89,385 126,310 167,055 218,579 169,688 Allowing sale of alcohol to person under 18 — — — 2,755 2,800 Persistently selling alcohol to children — — — — — Total 89,385 126,630 168,455 221,334 172,488 1 Licensing Act 1964 S.168 A & B as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 S.1. 2 Licensing Act 2003 S.146. Notes: 1. The statistics relate to persons for whom these offences were the principal offences for which they were dealt with and disposals were primary disposals handed out. When a defendant has been found guilty of two or more offences the principal offence is the offence for which the heaviest penalty is imposed. Where the same disposal is imposed for two or more offences, the offence selected is the offence for which the statutory maximum penalty is the most severe an offender could be issued with more than one disposal for a committed offence. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. Source:(OMSAS)-379-03-09.
Animal Experiments: EU Law
The European Commission proposal for a draft directive for the protection of animals used in scientific procedures to replace Directive 86/609/EEC was published in November 2008. My hon. Friend Meg Hillier met the All Party Parliamentary FRAME Group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), and the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) earlier in 2009 to discuss aspects of the draft directive. Home Office officials have also met with a wide and representative cross-section of relevant stakeholder groups to discuss its provisions and we are now holding a public consultation on the proposal to inform the Government's negotiating position. The consultation closes on 3 July 2009.
Burglary: Rotherham
The available information relates to offences recorded by the police in the Rotherham local authority area and is given in the following table. The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002 and data for 2002-03 onwards are therefore not directly comparable with the data for earlier years.
Financial year Burglary in a dwelling Other burglary Total burglary 2000-01 2,514 3,192 5,706 2001-02 2,567 3,007 5,574 1 — — — 2002-03 2,680 3,174 5,854 2003-04 2,046 2,607 4,653 2004-05 1,389 1,933 3,322 2005-06 1,374 2,151 3,525 2006-07 1,457 2,106 3,563 2007-08 1,313 1,818 3,131 1 The National Crime Recording Standard was introduced in April 2002 and figures before and after that date are not directly comparable.
Crimes of Violence: Elderly
The information requested in not collected centrally. The age of victims of violent crime offences is not available from the recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office.
Damian Green
The Cabinet Office statement, issued on 18 April 2009 makes clear that between 2005 and the start of the police investigation there were a large number of leaks from across Government, including information classified as secret and above—a classification usually given only on national security grounds. In addition, there were about 20 leaks of classified documents directly from the Home Office.
The Director of Public Prosecutions’ statement on 16 April 2009 acknowledged that “once the pattern of leaks was established in this case, it was inevitable that a police investigation would follow”.
Any leaks are a serious matter. They have a corrosive and damaging effect on the business of Government and undermine the core value of the impartiality of the civil service, as set out in the civil service code.
Ministers received a small amount of correspondence from both members of the public and hon. Members on this issue.
The Director of Public Prosecutions informed my right hon. Friend’s office by fax at 10.49 on 16 April 2009 that the hon. Member for Ashford would not be prosecuted. The DPP made a televised statement shortly after 11.00 and issued a press release to this effect at 11.15.
Disclosure of Information
No such discussions occurred prior to the arrest of the hon. Member for Ashford on 27 November 2008. Subsequently, Home Office special advisers have had a number of discussions in the course of their normal duties with Ministers, civil servants and others in relation to the investigation of leaks from the Home Office.
Driving Offences: Training
The information requested is not available.
Data reported to the Home Office on police action relating to motoring offences do not include information on driver rectification courses offered to offenders as an alternative to prosecution.
Theft: Fixed Penalties
I have been asked to reply.
The Government issue operational guidance on the issuing of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) to police forces under section 6 of the Criminal Justice and Police Act 2001. This guidance sets out the criteria which should be considered by police officers and makes clear that PNDs should not be issued where the offence is too serious and/or it involves aggravating factors, for example, where a theft has been planned.
Following representations from the hon. Lady and retail trades, the guidance covering shoplifting is being revised to clarify further the type of theft offence for which a penalty notice may be suitable. The new guidance will be issued shortly. However, police officers are accustomed to distinguishing different circumstances in which offences are committed, and no specific guidance will be offered on distinguishing between opportunistic and planned theft.
We are also considering the use of PNDs for retail theft and will report our conclusions to the House shortly.
Energy and Climate Change
Carbon Sequestration
(2) which Government Departments contributed to the carbon capture and storage demonstration procurement project risk register;
(3) what level of (a) inherent and (b) residual risk has been assigned to each risk in the risk register for the carbon capture and storage demonstration project; and what steps (i) have been taken and (ii) are planned to be taken to mitigate each risk.
The carbon capture and storage demonstration project team maintains a register of the risks to the competition. In the register, the Department records risks and associated mitigating factors openly and honestly, and away from the gaze of the bidders. The release of this information would not be in the public interest because it might have an inhibiting effect on the frankness and candour of the risk assessments or on the assessment of likelihood and impact of risks, and its release would also prejudice the Department's commercial interests, in particular, the Department's bargaining position and its ability to negotiate a competitive deal with the bidders.
The risk register was originally created by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) but responsibility for it transferred to the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) following its creation in October 2008. HM Treasury and Department for Transport indirectly contribute to the risk register through normal project governance. No other Government Departments have contributed to the risk register.
For the demonstration project announced in November 2007, we set out in the Project Information Memorandum the expectation that CCS technologies would be demonstrated on the flue gases of 300-400MW electrical output. The minimum requirement of net electrical output for this project will be confirmed in the invitation to negotiate to be issued to bidders.
We will shortly be consulting on proposals for additional demonstration projects and have already set out our intention to consult on a proposed 300MW net electrical output minimum requirement. The minimum requirement will be confirmed after the consultation has been completed.
(2) what the purpose of the carbon capture and storage demonstration procurement project risk register is; and if he will make a statement.
[holding answer 3 June 2009]: The carbon capture and storage demonstration procurement project risk register was created in June 2007 and was last updated on 29 May 2009.
The risk register is a repository of information about risks affecting the project. It provides identification, estimation, impact evaluation and countermeasures for all risks to the project. It acts as a control tool for the management team to manage the project’s exposure to risk and to keep that exposure to an acceptable level in a cost effective way. Risks are evaluated using assessments of likelihood, impact and proximity and are allocated to “owners” to ensure that agreed and documented actions are taken and reported on an ongoing basis.
I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Barnsley, Central (Mr. Illsley) on 4 June 2009, Official Report, column 631W.
Departmental Marketing
£191,638, excluding VAT.
Departmental Pay
The Department has yet to determine the end-of-year performance bonuses for all staff including senior civil service staff for the year 2008-09.
Departmental Safety
The Department occupy buildings and uses support services provided by both the Department of Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform and Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs. Compliance with the requirements of health and safety at work legislation are included in these services and not separately accounted for.
Departmental Training
This information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Departmental Work Experience
Since its creation in October 2008 DECC has offered work placements to:
(a) Three school pupils
(b) Seven university students
(c) Two graduates
Electricite de France
No discussions have taken place with Vincent De Rivaz in respect of his statement in the Financial Times on 26 May 2009.
The Government agree with the point made by M. De Rivaz that a robust carbon price is likely to be one of the conditions for long-term investment in low carbon power stations like nuclear.
Government have said that the EU ETS will remain the key carbon pricing mechanism, and the Government are confident that they can provide a continuing price signal; however, the Government are keeping open the option of further measures to reinforce the operation of the EU ETS in the UK should this be necessary to provide greater certainty to investors.
Energy
[holding answer 21 May 2009]: As the Department responsible for energy and the generation sector, DECC has received a significant number of representations from the AEP and Drax since 2005. These representations concerned a wide range of issues relating to the generators' businesses and the energy market.
The proportion of UK demand met by fossil fuel sources in the years 1987 to 1989 was 92.5 per cent., 91.5 per cent. and 90.6 per cent. respectively. Provisional estimates suggest that 91.9 per cent. of UK energy demand was met by fossil fuel sources in 2008.
The following tables details the proportion of UK energy demand met from nuclear sources in the years 1987 through to 2008.
Percentage 1987 6.8 1988 7.8 1989 8.4 1990 7.6 1991 7.9 1992 8.5 1993 9.8 1994 9.7 1995 9.8 1996 9.6 1997 10.2 1998 10.2 1999 9.7 2000 8.4 2001 8.8 2002 8.7 2003 8.6 2004 7.8 2005 7.8 2006 7.4 2007 6.2 2008 5.5
Energy Industry: Job Creation
[holding answer 24 April 2009]: The UK has led the world in taking a strategic and long-term approach to the problem of climate change. Existing policies are already enabling £50 billion of low carbon investment over the three years to 2011, and helping to support 900,000 jobs. Budget 2009 builds on these foundations and provides over £1.4 billion of extra targeted support in the low carbon sector. Together with announcements made last autumn, these measures will enable an additional £10.4 billion of low carbon and energy investment over the next three years. This will help protect investment and jobs in the low carbon sector in the short term and provide the foundations for strong growth in the future.
Energy: Billing
Ministers have met with Ofgem and discussed a range of issues in the energy supply markets. Following the results of its probe into energy markets, Ofgem recently consulted on proposals designed to help consumers to make well-informed choices. The proposals include an obligation on suppliers to provide clearer information, including simplified information on tariffs to make comparison easier. The consultation closed on 29 May.
Energy: Finance
Since its creation on 3 October 2008, the Department of Energy and Climate Change has not spent any money from the public purse on the actual generation of energy from oil and gas fired, coal fired, nuclear power and renewable energy sources.
Financial support for renewable generation comes mainly through the renewables obligation, which is ultimately paid for by electricity consumers. The Government also pay grants towards the installation costs of a variety of renewable generation, and development of new technologies.
The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority currently has two operating nuclear power stations, the costs of running which are covered by the income that they generate.
Energy: Meters
The Government published a consultation on smart metering for electricity and gas on 11 May 2009 (available on the open consultations section of the DECC website). We look forward to receiving contributions to this consultation and we will engage with a wide range of stakeholders to gather views throughout the consultation period.
The Government published a consultation on smart metering for electricity and gas on 11 May 2009 (available on the open consultations section of the DECC website). The consultation document includes discussion of the programme of work that will be needed to prepare for the roll-out of smart meters. There will be a substantial programme to complete, including consideration of the most appropriate regulatory framework.
Energy: Prices
DECC’s analysis estimates that the benefits to the UK as a whole of measures to help avert climate change could outweigh the costs by more than 10 times. Where these measures lead to an international climate agreement consistent with delivering a 450 ppm stabilisation of GHG atmospheric concentrations, we estimate the total benefits at £241.9 billion. This compares with total costs of £20.6 billion. The Impact Assessment can be found at:
www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/what_we_do/lc_uk/carbon_budgets/carbon_budgets.aspx
The Government are committed to ensuring that policies to avert climate change are cost-effective.
For household consumers, approximately 12 to 14 per cent. of current average electricity prices is attributable to measures to implement commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions (the Renewables Obligation, the EU Emissions Trading Scheme and the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target).
For household gas consumers, approximately 2 per cent. of the average gas price is attributable to the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target.
However the Carbon Emissions Reduction Target supports energy efficiency measures for households and so will deliver over time an overall saving on both gas and electricity bills greater than its total cost to consumers.
For medium industrial electricity consumers, approximately 20 per cent. of current average electricity bills is attributable to measures to implement commitments to reduce carbon dioxide emissions (the Renewables Obligation, EU ETS and the Climate Change Levy).
On gas, approximately 7 per cent. of current average prices for a medium industrial gas consumer is attributable to the Climate Change Levy.
Actual proportions for individual industrial consumers will vary from these estimated averages according to the considerable ranges of prices paid and of consumption sizes. Impacts will generally be lower for those companies which have entered into Climate Change Agreements. The revenue raised by the Climate Change Levy is recycled back to business, primarily through a 0.3 percentage point reduction in employers’ national insurance contributions.
Floods
Taking each sector in turn:
(A) Electricity:
The then Energy Minister initiated an in depth review into the resilience of electricity substations to flood risk shortly after the floods of summer 2007. This review was led by the Electricity Networks Association (ENA) and included representatives from DECC, all electricity network owners, the Environment Agency (EA)/SEPA, the Met Office and Ofgem. The Pitt review team also attended several meetings of the review steering group. As a result of this work we are now at a position where:
The electricity network companies and the environment agency have completed a structured exchange of information that has enabled the companies to identify all the sites at risk to fluvial or tidal flooding.
There have been improvements made in the provision of flood warning information between the EA and the electricity sector. In particular the network owners now receive a daily risk based flood warning bulletin from the EA which is sent by e-mail.
All the electricity distribution companies have submitted investment plans to Ofgem as part of their current five year price reviews which include proposals to improve the flood resilience of major electricity substations.
The Energy Networks Association (ENA) will shortly be issuing an “Engineering Technical Recommendation”, essentially an agreed industry standard, setting out best practice for network owners in managing flood risk at major substations.
Company business continuity plans for flood risk have been significantly improved by the information that has emerged during the ENA led review.
Electricity companies have also undertaken certain strategic investments to improve their resilience to flood risk in the short term. For example the substations in Gloucester that were impacted by the flooding, at Walham and Castlemeads, now have permanent flood defence barriers and a number of companies have purchased relocatable flood defence systems. In addition companies have reviewed the design of large new substations at risk to flooding and have taken steps to raise them above the level of potential flood waters where appropriate.
(B) Gas and (C) Oil.
DECC has also completed a survey of both the gas and oil sectors to establish their awareness of flood risk and identify any significant risks to the continuity of supplies. Although inherently more resilient than the electricity networks, and with little evidence of supply problems due to flooding, a small number of residual risks were identified that could lead to local difficulties in the most severe flooding situations. The management of these risks is being progressed with the companies and their trade associations.