HC Deb 13 March 2001 vol 364 cc530-3W
Mr. Chope

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people in each of the four areas of England established for the purpose of administering the home energy efficiency scheme(a) have had new boilers fitted and (b) have had boilers repaired since June 2000; and how many are currently waiting for (i) boiler repairs and (ii) new boilers. [153472]

Mr. Meacher

(holding answer 12 March 2001]: The table sets out the number of households that have had work completed and those where orders have been placed:

Mr. Chope

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how the Government ensures that the cost of work carried out by contractors under the home energy efficiency scheme does not exceed the price which would be charged by local contractors registered with CORGI; [153532]

(2) how the Government are ensuring that grants paid to contractors for work under the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme does not exceed the value of the work done. [153533]

Mr. Meacher

Scheme managers are contractually required to appoint insulation and heating sub-contractors following the requirements set out under the UK's Public Procurement Regulations. In the case of heating contractors, I understand that both scheme managers advertised widely in the trade press and wrote to all CORGI registered gas heating engineers inviting them to tender. The scheme managers were required to accept those tenders that were the lowest in price and technically compliant.

The scheme is designed so that independent surveyors visit householders and advise the measures to be installed. Orders are then placed with the sub-contractors for the package of measures to be installed in each home. The scheme managers operate monitoring systems to ensure work orders are correctly carried out to the relevant specifications.

Mr. Chope

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what date and by what means tenders were invited for the management of grant payments under the home energy efficiency scheme towards the cost of heating systems; how many tenders were received; and on what criteria contracts were awarded. [153530]

Mr. Meacher

The scheme manager contracts were awarded in accordance with UK Public Procurement Regulations. An advertisement was placed in the Official Journal of the European Community and written tenders were invited on 29 October 1999.

Six compliant bids were received. These were assessed by a tender panel, which included external representatives. The panel unanimously recommended the award of contracts to the Eaga Partnership Ltd, and Eastern HEES Ltd. on the basis of providing the lowest priced, technically compliant bids.

The contract with Eaga Partnership includes a stepped clawback provision, whereby up to 75 per cent. of any profit in a given financial year is returned to the Department. Eastern HEES Ltd. is a not-for-profit company who are committed to refunding to the Department all surpluses that occur.

Mr. Chope

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those contractors authorised to carry out installations of new boilers under the home energy efficiency scheme in each of the four areas of England established for the purpose of administering the scheme. [153445]

Mr. Meacher

[holding answer 12 March 2001]: The following is a list of heating contractors authorised to carry out installations of new boilers under the home energy efficiency scheme in England. There are variations in the coverage of each installer, some are national, while others provide a regional service.

Heating contractors—Eaga Partnership Ltd. (North East, North West, London, West Midlands, South East, South West regions)

  • Amadeus Insulation Ltd.
  • Ashley and McDonough (Huyton) Ltd.
  • Concept Heating Systems
  • Dawsetway Ltd.
  • Domestic and General Insulation Ltd.
  • Domestic Gas Services
  • Downs (Insulation and Electrical) Ltd.
  • Everwarm Services Ltd.
  • Excelsior Insulation Services Ltd.
  • Fenhams Contracts
  • F. J. Jones Heating Engineers Ltd.
  • Gas Services
  • Gascare Central Heating Ltd.
  • Gascare 1A Autoheat Ltd.
  • Gilwood Engineering Services Ltd.
  • Home Energy Efficiency Ltd.
  • Huyton Plumbing and Heating Ltd.
  • Interglow
  • J. and L. National Energy Saver Ltd.
  • Kershaw Contracting Services Ltd.
  • Kingsleigh Holdings Ltd.
  • Lionheart Heating Services
  • N. W. Heating Maintenance
  • P. H. Jones Plumbing and Heating Ltd.
  • P J. Shankster
  • Plumbing and Gas Services Ltd.
  • Premier Services
  • PTC Construction Group Ltd.
  • Quake Energy
  • Quality Heating Services Ltd.
  • Simpson and Gregg Ltd.
  • S. J. White (Engineers) Ltd.
  • Taverner (UK) Ltd.
  • Vale Heating and Plumbing
  • Viscount Insulations and Security
  • W. H. Joce and Sons

WTS (Holdings) Ltd.Heating contractors—Eastern HEES Ltd. (Eastern region)

  • British Gas Services
  • Dewsbury Civil Engineering Ltd.
  • East Coast Gas Services
  • Eastern Contracting Ltd.
  • Energy Efficiency Centre Ltd.
  • Jeakins Weir Ltd.
  • Kershaws Contracting Services
  • L. and W. Insulation Ltd.
  • Maclean and Nutall
  • N. W. Heating Maintenance
  • Perry Electrical Ltd.
  • P. H. Jones Ltd.
  • Paul Brant Plumbing and Heating
  • Rhiengold
  • Rule and Parker
  • Shore Energy Ltd.
  • Sun Realm Heating Company Ltd.
  • Thorpete Associates
  • Swift Services
  • Trolhurst
  • Viscount Home Insulation
  • Yorkshire Plumbing and Heating Services Ltd.

Mr. Chope

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what tendering processes were undertaken prior to the appointment of the Eaga Partnership to administer the scheme for grant payments towards the cost of new central heating boilers for vulnerable people. [153529]

Mr. Meacher

The Eaga Partnership Ltd. was awarded the contract to manage the home energy efficiency scheme in the Northern, West and South of England from the start of the new scheme on 1 June 2000. Prior to this date no grants for heating measures were available under the scheme that had run since 1991. Instead only a single main insulation measure was available.

Mr. Chope

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the estimated cost to public funds in 2000–01 is of the Government's advertising of the UK home energy efficiency scheme. [153471]

Mr. Meacher

[holding answer 12 March 2001]: The responsibility for marketing the home energy efficiency scheme in England rests with the scheme managers, Eaga Partnership Ltd. and Eastern HEES Ltd. The costs for this activity are included within their overall contract price. The scheme managers report that a total of £3.05 million will be spent on advertising the scheme in this financial year, including the cost of the Warm Front Team campaign.

Energy efficiency is a devolved area. It is therefore the responsibility for the respective Parliament and Assemblies to comment on the situation in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

East North-east and north-west London and south-east South-west and west-midlands
Total value of heating and insulation work (£) 6,088,350 10,474,401 3,940,122 5,543,556
Total value of security work (£) 117,919 387,084 91,431 173,717
Total value of HEES work (£) 6,206,269 10,861,485 4,031,553 5,717,273
Number of households treated 16,945 29,594 12,426 17,346
Number of households waiting for work to be carried out 118,386 117,946 19,250 112,662
Total value of work waiting to be carried out (£) 18,500,000 116,820,086 16,687,893 111,905,199
1Due to the one to six week delay between the completion of the work and the issue of invoices by contractors it is likely that work has already been completed in some of these households