HC Deb 16 July 1992 vol 211 cc1046-7W
Mr. Alan W. Williams

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish an update of the league tables on departmental performance of Whitehall-type buildings, and departmental expenditure on energy and energy efficiency measures.

Mr. Maclean

Data on the progress of the energy efficiency campaign on the Government estate will be included in the second-year report on the environment to be published in the autumn.

Mr. Morgan

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will initiate a study into the impact of the client contribution in the home energy efficiency scheme on the level of take-up.

Mr. Maclean

The home energy efficiency scheme is cash limited, and there has been no difficulty in meeting its targets. Abolishing the client contribution, far from increasing the numbers who could benefit, would reduce the number of jobs which could be done by increasing the cost of grant for each job.

Mr. Alan W. Williams

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment what progress has been made on the establishment of an independent working party to monitor the progress of Departments of state in implementing the energy efficiency improvements following the annual report, 1990–91, of the ministerial group on energy efficiency.

Mr. Maclean

A working party was set up in 1991 comprising of officials, with outside consultancy support, to monitor and advise on the progress of Departments towards achieving the 15 per cent. energy savings target; it has met three times since December 1991.

Mr. Alan W. Williams

To ask the Secretary of Slate for the Environment how much revenue savings from local authority energy efficiency investments have been recycled into energy efficiency capital programmes and into designated energy funds since April 1990.

Mr. Maclean

This information is not collected centrally; it is for local authorities to decide their own expenditure priorities.

Mr. Alan W. Williams

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment when he will publish the 1991–92 annual report of the ministerial group on energy efficiency.

Mr. Maclean

I have decided that the responsibilities of the ministerial group on energy efficiency should be taken over by the green Ministers, who co-ordinate environmental initiatives across Government. The second-year report on the environment will include an update on developments in the energy efficiency field and data on the campaign to improve energy efficiency on the Government estate.