§ Mr. BurstowTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her answer of 26 November,Official Report, column 688W, on warm front grants, if she will publish for each quarter since 1 June 2000 by region (a) the modal, (b) the median and (c) the mean cost of HEES and HEES plus grants; and why the average cost of grant for England in 2000–01 for HEES was 26 per cent. and for HEES plus 17 per cent. of the total grant available. [21788]
§ Mr. Meacher[holding answer 10 December 2001]: The Eaga Partnership Ltd. and TXU Warm Front Ltd. manage the home energy efficiency scheme, marketed as the warm front team, under contract. The table shows the modal, median and mean cost for HEES and HEES Plus in the period from June 2000 to November 2001. The data are shown in terms of grouped regions as it is not possible to provide individual region areas without incurring disproportionate cost.
The difference between the average grant paid under HEES and the grant maximum is due to the nature of the scheme. The package of measures provided is tailored to the requirements of each property. For example if a home already has a central heating system then a package of insulation measures is provided. This approach ensures that the scheme provides the greatest assistance to those householders most in need, and less to those whose homes are already energy efficient.
106W
£ Mean Median Mode HEES North West and North East June 2000 to September 2001 270 250 90 October 2000 to December 2000 260 240 100 January 2001 to March 2001 270 240 110 April 2001 to June 2001 290 270 110 June 2001 to September 2001 260 230 110 October 2001 to November 2001 240 160 110 Eastern, East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber June 2000 to September 2001 260 240 240 October 2000 to December 2000 260 220 250 January 2001 to March 2001 270 230 170 April 2001 to June 2001 280 240 120 June 2001 to September 2001 280 240 260 October 2001 to November 2001 280 230 260 South West and West Midlands June 2000 to September 2001 260 240 80 October 2000 to December 2000 280 250 100 January 2001 to March 2001 300 270 100 April 2001 to June 2001 310 280 100 June 2001 to September 2001 290 270 100 October 2001 to November 2001 270 260 100 North West and North East June 2000 to September 2001 280 250 90 October 2000 to December 2000 290 260 90 January 2001 to March 2001 310 270 270 April 2001 to June 2001 310 280 100 June 2001 to September 2001 300 280 100 October 2001 to November 2001 280 260 110 HEES PLUS North West and North East June 2000 to September 2001 520 260 90 October 2000 to December 2000 600 270 100
£ Mean Median Mode January 2001 to March 2001 570 280 110 April 2001 to June 2001 510 270 110 June 2001 to September 2001 410 220 110 October 2001 to November 2001 390 210 110 Eastern, East Midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber June 2000 to September 2001 360 230 240 October 2000 to December 2000 270 210 240 January 2001 to March 2001 490 270 1,000 April 2001 to June 2001 540 320 1,000 June 2001 to September 2001 540 330 950 October 2001 to November 2001 520 310 950 South West and West Midlands June 2000 to September 2001 720 290 220 October 2000 to December 2000 700 290 220 January 2001 to March 2001 730 320 100 April 2001 to June 2001 830 400 100 June 2001 to September 2001 740 320 100 October 2001 to November 2001 620 290 100 North West and North East June 2000 to September 2001 620 280 280 October 2000 to December 2000 620 280 280 January 2001 to March 2001 710 320 2,000 April 2001 to June 2001 700 340 100 June 2001 to September 2001 550 280 100 October 2001 to November 2001 380 250 110
§ Richard BurdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many households have benefited from better heating systems through the home energy efficiency scheme. [23095]
§ Mr. MeacherThe home energy efficiency scheme was launched on 1 June 2000 and is administered by two scheme managers in England, Eaga Partnership Ltd. and TXU Warm Front Ltd.
For the period June 2000 to November 2001, 62,000 householders have benefited from better heating systems through the scheme. This figure includes replacements, new heating systems and repairs.
§ Richard BurdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what percentage of those households which have had work done under the home energy efficiency scheme did so after the properties' landlords entered into a no rent rise agreement with the scheme manager in the area concerned,[23096]
(2) how many tenants who are eligible for improved heating systems under the home energy efficiency scheme have been unable to have work implemented free of cost because the landlords have refused to enter into a no rent rise agreement with the scheme manager in the area; and what representations she has received on their behalf; [23097]
what assessment she has made of the position of a tenant who is eligible for an improved heating system under the home energy efficiency scheme but is unable to have work implemented free of cost because the landlords have refused to enter into a no rent rise agreement with the scheme manager in the area. [23098]
§ Mr. MeacherThe home energy efficiency scheme is administered in England by Eaga Partnership Ltd. and TXU Warm Front Ltd.
107WWork in private sector landlords' properties is undertaken only once a no rent rise agreement is in place. This requirement was introduced following consultation on the proposed scheme in 1999. Many groups representing tenants and older people expressed concern that some private sector landlords would use the grant-funded improvements to justify an increase in rent. Agreements are time-limited to either one year for insulation measures only or two years where heating measures are installed.
In the period June 2000 to November 2001 some 27,000 private sector landlords agreed to the no rent rise agreement. This represents about 5 per cent. of all applications accepted under the scheme.
In the same period, 8,300 tenants had their applications turned down by the landlord. The precise reasons in each case are not known, but we are now investigating these.
While there has been very little concern expressed on this issue, we do continue to keep it under review.
§ Mr. WattsTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average time is(a) for processing Eaga Partnership home efficiency contracts and (b) between the initial application and the completion of a contract in the (i) north-west and (ii) UK. [22897]
§ Mr. MeacherThe home energy efficiency scheme for England was launched on 1 June 2000 and is administered by Eaga Partnership Ltd. and TXU Warm Front Ltd. TXU is responsible for administering the scheme in the eastern, east midlands and Yorkshire and the Humber regions while Eaga is responsible for the remainder of England.
The scheme managers appoint contractors to work on the scheme. Contractually they are required to make appointments following the UK's Public Procurement Rules and Regulations. Part of the process involves placing the invitation to tender in the Official Journal of the European Union.
The table identifies the average time taken from the time of application to completion of contract for both scheme managers.
Days North-west Rest of England Eaga Partnership 74 72 TXU Warm Front — 79 As fuel poverty is a devolved matter, it is the responsibility of the respective Parliament and Assemblies to comment on the situation in Scotland and Wales.
§ Mr. LlwydTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's target is for the number of households with energy efficiency measures in place. [25627]
§ Mr. MeacherThe Government's target for improving energy efficiency in households is set out in the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy, published on 21 November 2001. The goal of the Government and the devolved Administrations is to seek an end to the problem of fuel poverty. In particular we will seek an end to the blight of fuel poverty for vulnerable households—older people, families with children, the disabled or those with long-term illness—by 2010. This involves improving the energy efficiency of108W 2 million private sector homes between 2000–10, and also bringing all social housing properties up to the decent standard.
Fuel poverty is a devolved matter and it is the responsibility of the devolved Administrations to comment on the respective targets in their countries.