HC Deb 23 July 2004 vol 424 cc806-7W
Mrs. Curtis-Thomas

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money was spent on grants to aid energy efficiency in(a) Merseyside, (b) Crosby and (c) the North West in each of the last three years. [177860]

Mr. Morley

Defra currently provides grant funding for energy efficiency through four main routes. These organisations or programmes undertake work at a national or UK level.The Warm Front programme—to provide energy efficiency measures to the vulnerable. The Community Energy programme—capital and development funding to refurbish existing and install new community heating schemes. The Carbon Trust—to support and promote energy efficiency and low carbon innovation for business and public sector. The Energy Saving Trust—to support and promote energy efficiency in the household sector.

Warm Front

Total costs of measures under the Warm Front scheme are as follows:

Merseyside

(£ million)1

 Crosby

(£ 000)1

 North West

(£ million)1
2001–02 13 315,000 18
2002–03 14.5 450,000 8
2003–04 12 530,000 9

Community Energy

Community Energy figures as follows:

2001–02: Programme not up and running until 02/03

2002–03: No spend

2003–04:£19,000

These spend figures relate to development grant money to fund feasibility studies, business plans and bids for capital grants, and form part of £2 million set aside for developing bids within the £50 million pot. There were no capital grants awarded to schemes in the North West in either 2002–03 or 2003–04 as no bids were submitted of sufficient quality which met the programme's criteria. The programme's publicity has very much focused on regions that have had a poor take up of grant.

Carbon Trust and Energy Saving Trust

The Trusts' programmes have no specific levels of funding attributed to particular legions.

Total Funding

The total funding made available by the Department to support and promote efficiency measures for these programmes (The Carbon Trust, The Energy Saving Trust, Community Energy and Warm Front) in each of the last three years is set out as follows:

£ million
2001–02 256
2002–03 225
2003–04 1243
1Budget