HC Deb 06 May 2004 vol 420 cc1657-60W
Mr. Hoyle

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) Lancashire, (b) Chorley and (c) the North West in each of the last three years. [161243]

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 often demand led and with no specific levels of funding attributed to particular regions.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 domestic sector. The Community Energy programme—capital and development funding to refurbish existing and install new community heating schemes. The Warm Front programme—to provide energy efficiency measures to the vulnerable.

The funding made available by my Department to support and promote efficiency measures in each of the last three years is of the scale set out as follows:

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

Sue Doughty

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason she has not met the commitment given in paragraph 3.49 of the Energy White Paper of February 2003 to publish an implementation plan on energy efficiency within one year. [165277]

Mr. Morley

The principal reason for the delay in publication of the Energy Efficiency Implementation Plan was to allow it to be published alongside the First Annual Report of the Energy White Paper.

Sue Doughty

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what studied she has undertaken on the numbers of new jobs which implementing in full the energy efficiency targets contained within the Energy White Paper would provide by 2020. [165278]

Mr. Morley

No specific studies have been undertaken by the Department on the numbers of new jobs that might be created through the implementation of the energy efficiency goals set out in the Energy White Paper. However, in order for the White Paper goals to be met, a significant expansion of energy efficiency industry capacity would be required.

Mr. Ben Chapman

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in Wirral, South have benefited from the Warm Front and Home Energy Efficiency schemes. [170272]

Mr. Morley

The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme is now marketed as Warm Front. Between the launch of the scheme in June 2000 and the end of March 2004, approximately 1,600 households in Wirral, South received assistance from the scheme.

Mr. Sheerman

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department is undertaking to reduce the level of domestic energy consumption in the United Kingdom. [169771]

Mr. Morley

'Energy Efficiency: The Government's Plan for Action' published on 26 April 2004, sets out how the Government aims to cut carbon emissions by an 12 million tonnes through energy efficiency measures across all sectors by 2010.

In UK households, we have announced a new aim to deliver annual savings of 4.2 million tonnes of carbon by 2010. Measures to achieve this include: The Energy Efficiency Commitment (EEC)—we intend the activity levels for EEC over the period 2005–08 to be roughly double those under the current EEC, and the EEC to continue to 2011, possibly with changes in the way in which it is delivered. We anticipate that the EEC will continue at the same higher level to 2011, subject to its continuing cost effectiveness in relation to other carbon abatement options and value for money for end consumers; Updating the Building Regulations in 2005, thus raising standards of all new and refurbished buildings, not just households. Provisions for higher boiler standards will come into force in April 2005. Energy surveys and certification of all buildings, will be among the measures introduced to implement the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive; A major new training scheme for heating installers, is to precede the revision of the boiler provisions in the Building Regulations in 2005; In the social sector, social landlords will continue to carry out improvements to the heating and insulation of their housing through the Decent Homes programme. The Warm Front grant programme will continue to tackle fuel poverty by installing heating and other energy efficiency measures; Fiscal incentives already reduce the cost of professionally installed insulation. Budget 2004 announced additional economic incentives for energy efficiency, including tax relief for landlords installing insulation, and a reduced rate of VAT on ground-source heat pumps; Negotiating rising standards for energy using appliances via EU-wide agreements and policy instruments. Also, improving product standards, with negotiations underway on the Eco-design of Energy Using Products Directive; Grants to support community heating (the Community Energy Programme) and small-scale renewable generation (Clear Skies and the major photovoltaic demonstration programme); The Energy Saving Trust's information and advice programmes for households and local authorities;

There will also be enhanced emphasis on communicating the links between climate change and energy efficiency and a stronger emphasis on communicating the reality of climate change, raising public awareness of the links between climate change and energy.

Mr. Neil Turner

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in Wigan have benefited from the home energy efficiency scheme, Warm Front. [169366]

Mr. Morley

The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme is now marketed as Warm Front. Between the launch of the scheme in June 2000 and the end of March 2004, approximately 2,400 households in Wigan received assistance from the Scheme.

Mr. Hendrick

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in Preston have benefited from the home energy efficiency scheme, Warm Front. [169684]

Mr. Morley

Between the launch of the scheme in June 2000 and the end of March 2004, approximately 4,000 households in Preston received assistance from the scheme.

Jim Dobbin

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in Heywood and Middleton have benefited from the home energy efficiency scheme, Warm Front. [168436]

Mr. Morley

The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme is now marketed as Warm Front. Between the launch of the scheme in June 2000 and the end of March 2004, approximately 2,400 households in Heywood and Middleton received assistance from the scheme.

Helen Southworth

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in Warrington South have benefited from the Home Energy Efficiency and Warm Front Schemes. [168705]

Mr. Morley

The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme is now marketed as Warm Front. Between the launch of the scheme in June 2000 and the end of March 2004, approximately 1,600 households in Warrington South received assistance from the Scheme.

James Purnell

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in Stalybridge and Hyde have benefited from the Home Energy Efficiency and Warm Front Schemes. [168768]

Mr. Morley

The Home Energy Efficiency Scheme is now marketed as Warm Front. Between the launch of the scheme in June 2000 and the end of March 2004, approximately 2,000 households in Stalybridge and Hyde received assistance from the Scheme.