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44365

	registered interest
	date	20/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what assessment he has made of the health effects of infrasound from wind turbine generators.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	192989
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 25/03/2014 answer text <p>A number of independent peer reviewed research studies have concluded that there is no evidence of health effects arising from infrasound or low frequency noise, generated by windfarms that are built according to Government guidelines.</p><p> </p><p>For example, a comprehensive study undertaken in the UK in 1997 by ETSU for the Department of Trade and Industry (ETSU W/13/00392/REP) found no evidence that ground transmitted low frequency noise from wind turbines is at a sufficient level to be harmful to human health. These findings were confirmed by a study published in 2005 by the Applied and Environmental Geophysics Group of the School of Physical and Geographical Sciences at Keele University titled Microseismic and Infrasound Monitoring of Low Frequency Noise and Vibrations from Wind Farms1. In 2003 the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs published a report entitled 'A Review of Published Research on Low Frequency Noise and its Effects'2 and in 2004, BERR commissioned Hayes McKenzie to conduct an independent study to investigate the levels and effects of Low Frequency Noise from wind farms3.</p><p> </p><p><em>1</em><em> <a href="http://www.keele.ac.uk/geophysics/appliedseismology/wind/Final_Report.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.keele.ac.uk/geophysics/appliedseismology/wind/Final_Report.pdf</a></em></p><p><em>2</em><em> <a href="http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/noise/research/lowfrequency/documents/lowfreqnoise.pdf" target="_blank">http://archive.defra.gov.uk/environment/quality/noise/research/lowfrequency/documents/lowfreqnoise.pdf</a></em></p><p><em>3 </em><em><a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http:/www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/explained/wind/onshore-offshore/page31267.html" target="_blank">http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/+/http://www.berr.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/explained/wind/onshore-offshore/page31267.html</a></em></p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 25/03/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

46248

	registered interest
	date	01/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, pursuant to the Answer of 13 January 2014, Official Report, columns 340-1W, on warm home discount scheme, on what date his Department will publish its consultation on changes to the warm home discount for 2015-16 onwards.
	tabling member constituency	York Outer
	tabling member printed	Julian Sturdy
	uin	194785
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p>We plan to publish the consultation on changes to the Warm Home Discount for 2015-16 later this spring. We have not set a date for publication.</p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	4079 label Biography information for Julian Sturdy

48203

	registered interest
	date	10/04/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what levels of stock his Department holds of (a) stationery, (b) printer cartridges, (c) treasury tags and other fasteners and (d) other office consumables.
	tabling member constituency	Wokingham
	tabling member printed	Mr John Redwood
	uin	196204
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 28/04/2014 answer text <p>The Department of Energy and Climate Change does not keep a central record of stock levels for stationery, treasury tags or any other office consumables. This is because individual teams within the Department are responsible for their own particular needs (with weekly deliveries when required), negating the need for an overall ‘Departmental' store.</p><p> </p><p>However, printer cartridges are procured and stored by the Departmental IT team. The stock is regularly checked with an aim to ensure there are always approximately 80 cartridges on site (of varying types and colours) to cover four Central London buildings/offices.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 28/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	14 label Biography information for Sir John Redwood

57748

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Energy: Prices
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what plans his Department has to provide assistance to people with cold-related health conditions who are struggling to pay their heating bills.
	tabling member constituency	West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
	tabling member printed	Sir Robert Smith
	uin	198929
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2014 answer text <p>The evidence is clear that living in cold homes can have a substantial range of negative health impacts. We have a strong package of policies already delivering assistance to those in need. These include:</p><p>- the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) which funds efficient boilers and insulation measures to low income and vulnerable households and is now guaranteed until at least 2017;</p><p>- the Warm Home Discount scheme, which gave over 1.2m of the lowest income pensioners £135 off their electricity bills in winter 2013/14, and supported more than 2m households in total;</p><p>- Winter Fuel and Cold Weather payments which provide support to pensioners and vulnerable low income groups; and</p><p>- the Big Energy Saving Network which is providing outreach to consumers, helping them understand tariffs and switching options as well as how they could benefit from energy efficiency programmes available to them.</p><p>In July 2013 DECC published the document Fuel Poverty: a framework for future action, this stated Government's intention to continue to prioritise ‘vulnerable' fuel poor households (i.e. those containing an elderly person, a child or someone who is long term sick or disabled) within fuel poverty policies.</p><p>We have been discussing links between fuel poverty and health with colleagues in the Department of Health, and Public Health England, at all levels, including Ministerial, as part of our preparation for a new fuel poverty strategy.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 11/06/2014 15:49:26 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	639 label Biography information for Sir Robert Smith

57749

	registered interest
	date	04/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Fuel Poverty
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Health on support for people in fuel poverty who suffer from cold-related health conditions.
	tabling member constituency	West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
	tabling member printed	Sir Robert Smith
	uin	198976
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 11/06/2014 answer text <p>My rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change met my rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health in February 2014, specifically to discuss how DECC and the Department of Health can work together to tackle fuel poverty, building on previous collaboration.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 11/06/2014 15:53:05 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	639 label Biography information for Sir Robert Smith

58249

	registered interest
	date	05/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Energy: Social Tariffs
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, if he will estimate (a) the number of households which were on social tariffs for their energy supplies before such tariffs were withdrawn and (b) the number of those households which included people considered especially vulnerable to cold-related illnesses.
	tabling member constituency	West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
	tabling member printed	Sir Robert Smith
	uin	199430
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>It is estimated that 1 million households were on social or discounted tariffs in the final year (up to 31 March 2011) before the voluntary tariffs were replaced by the Warm Home Discount scheme (Source: Ofgem's Monitoring Suppliers' Social Programme 2010-2011 Report). The Department does not hold information on those households which included people considered especially vulnerable to cold-related illnesses.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 16/06/2014 11:53:32 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	639 label Biography information for Sir Robert Smith

46246

	registered interest
	date	31/03/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking to help households improve their energy efficiency.
	tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
	tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
	uin	903482
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 03/04/2014 answer text <p>Over 600,000 homes have received energy efficiency improvements so far as a result of the Coalition's Energy Company Obligation and Green Deal initiatives. Green Deal assessments are stimulating interest and there had been over 160,000 by the end of February. Yesterday we announced additional £88 million from the Government to drive street by street roll out under the Green Deal Communities scheme.</p><p> </p><p>We expect the Green Deal market to continue to expand in 2014 and beyond.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 03/04/2014 12:00:00 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

60917

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Disciplinary Proceedings
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what proportion of staff within his Department who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings in each of the last five financial years classed themselves as white British.
	tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
	tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
	uin	199883
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>From November 2010 a single team was established to control the process for all formal disciplinary proceedings being undertaken against Civil Servants in the Department of Energy &amp; Climate Change (DECC). Therefore central records only exist from that date.</p><p>The proportion of Civil Servants in DECC, who have been subject to formal disciplinary proceedings since November 2010 to date and who are white British, is less than 1% of the total number of Civil Servants in each year.</p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 16/06/2014 11:58:31 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

60918

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Equal Opportunities
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what targets his Department has for increasing diversity; and what progress has been made on meeting those targets in the last year.
	tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
	tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
	uin	199926
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The Department currently works towards meeting the diversity representation targets set by the Cabinet Office for Senior Civil Servants. Our current rates against those targets are:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Females in SCS – 34% (Target 39%)</li><li>Females at PB2 or above – 21% (Target 34%)</li><li>Disability – 3% (Target 5%)</li><li>Ethnicity – 1% (Target 5%)</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 16/06/2014 11:57:52 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson

60919

	registered interest
	date	10/06/2014
	answering body	Department for Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept id	63
	answering dept short name	Energy and Climate Change
	answering dept sort name	Energy and Climate Change
	hansard heading	Equal Opportunities
	house id	1
	legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
	question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what consideration his Department gives to the diversity policies and records of businesses or other organisations when considering their bid for commercial contracts or grants.
	tabling member constituency	Washington and Sunderland West
	tabling member printed	Mrs Sharon Hodgson
	uin	199947
	answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/06/2014 answer text <p>The Department of Energy and Climate Change considers diversity during the procurement or grant allocation process by including diversity within evaluation criteria when appropriate. Diversity is included when it is particularly relevant to the business requirements and circumstances of an individual procurement or grant. In addition the Department's standard terms and conditions of contract include specific clauses that cover equality and non-discrimination. The Department also promotes non-discrimination through open procurement procedures and we have removed barriers to supplier entry as part of our efforts to improve engagement with small and medium-sized enterprises. Our Contractors are required to abide by the DECC Equality Scheme, details of which can be found through the link below.</p><p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/47894/359-decc-equality-diversity-strategy-condoc.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/47894/359-decc-equality-diversity-strategy-condoc.pdf</a></p><p> </p> answering member constituency Bexhill and Battle answering member printed Gregory Barker question first answered 16/06/2014 11:57:01 answering member 1389 label Biography information for Lord Barker of Battle
	tabling member	1521 label Biography information for Mrs Sharon Hodgson