Cooking Oil (Duty)
Q: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason Inland Revenue decided to charge fuel duty on recovered cooking oil. (John Hemming)
A:Fuel produced from vegetable oil is eligible for the rate of duty for biodiesel (currently 27.10 pence per litre) if it meets the legal definition of biodiesel for tax purposes set out in section 2AA of the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979. In other cases it is liable to duty at 47.10 pence per litre, as has been the case since Royal Assent to the Finance Act 2002. Before that date biodiesel was liable to the same rate of duty as ultra-low sulphur diesel.(John Healey, Financial Secretary, HM Treasury)
Data Protection
Q: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the deterrent effect of court awards for compensation for breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998.
(John Hemming)
A:None. The purpose of compensation under the Data Protection Act 1998 is not to act as a deterrent, but to compensate individuals for any damage or harm arising from a breach of their rights. We have further not made any assessment. (Harriet Harman, Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs)
Met Office
Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the temperature has been at midday at each of the Met Office's observation stations in the UK on each day in (a) November, (b) December, (c) January, (d) February and (e) March since 1985.(John Hemming)
A:This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
(Don Touhig, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Veterans), Ministry of Defence)
Predictive Diallers (DfT)
Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many calls were made from call centres in his Department in 2004–05 using predictive diallers; how many such calls resulted in contact being made with the recipient without a Government agent available to talk to them; and what assessment he has made of the likely impact of Ofcom's policy on silent calls on the use of predictive diallers in departmental call centres. (John Hemming)
A:The Department for Transport does not use predictive diallers when making calls to members of the public. (Karen Buck, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport)
Aviation Pollution
Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what economic modelling he has undertaken to assess the impact of participation in (a) the existing and (b) an aviation-only EU emissions trading scheme on forecast growth in aviation emissions of greenhouse gases.(John Hemming)
A:At present, it is too early to provide a reliable estimate of the impact emissions trading will have on forecasts of emissions from aviation. This will depend on a number of factors including the overall number of allowances and the detailed design for the inclusion of aviation into the EU ETS. These factors have yet to be specified and will be subject to discussion with other member states' governments.(Karen Buck, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport)
Aviation PollutionQ: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what economic modelling he has undertaken of the impact of (a) different oil prices, (b) emissions trading, (c) an emissions charge and (d) an increase in air passenger duty on the growth of aviation greenhouse gas emissions. (John Hemming)
A:Our forecasts for aviation and climate change, and the assumptions underlying them, are set out in "Aviation and Global Warming", published by the Department for Transport in January 2004. The "best case" scenario emissions forecasts assumed the introduction of economic instruments to tackle climate change, resulting in improved fuel efficiency. We have not undertaken analysis to consider these specific scenarios.(Karen Buck, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport)
Aviation Pollution
Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what economic modelling has been undertaken to assess the impact of Government policy on emissions trading on tackling climate change pollution from aviation.(John Hemming)
A:Analytical and modelling work has been undertaken by consultants for the European Commission looking at the feasibility and impact of emissions trading, emissions charges, and fuel taxation. The Department has not undertaken economic modelling since any scheme would be EU wide. (Karen Buck, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport)
Air Fares
Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average real terms price of air fares within the UK was in each year since 1975; and what forecast he has made of average price of airfares over the next 25 years. (John Hemming)
A:There is no series giving past data in UK air fares. The national air traffic forecasts published in 2000 assumed a 1 per cent. annual decline in air fares over the period 1998 to 2020. This was revised prior to the Air Transport White Paper to a 2 per cent. per annum decline for the period up to 2030.(Karen Buck, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport)
Air Fares
Q: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many calls were made from call centres in his Department in 2004–05 using predictive diallers; how many such calls resulted in contact being made with the recipient without a Government agent available to talk to them; and what assessment he has made of the likely impact of Ofcom's policy on silent calls on the use of predictive diallers in departmental call centres. (John Hemming)
A:None; the Department does not utilise predictive diallers in its call centres. (Charles Clarke, Secretary of State, Home Office)
Q: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason Inland Revenue decided to charge fuel duty on recovered cooking oil. (John Hemming)
A:Fuel produced from vegetable oil is eligible for the rate of duty for biodiesel (currently 27.10 pence per litre) if it meets the legal definition of biodiesel for tax purposes set out in section 2AA of the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979. In other cases it is liable to duty at 47.10 pence per litre, as has been the case since Royal Assent to the Finance Act 2002. Before that date biodiesel was liable to the same rate of duty as ultra-low sulphur diesel.(John Healey, Financial Secretary, HM Treasury)
Data Protection
Q: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the deterrent effect of court awards for compensation for breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998.
(John Hemming)
A:None. The purpose of compensation under the Data Protection Act 1998 is not to act as a deterrent, but to compensate individuals for any damage or harm arising from a breach of their rights. We have further not made any assessment. (Harriet Harman, Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs)
Met Office
Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the temperature has been at midday at each of the Met Office's observation stations in the UK on each day in (a) November, (b) December, (c) January, (d) February and (e) March since 1985.(John Hemming)
A:This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
(Don Touhig, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Veterans), Ministry of Defence)
Predictive Diallers (DfT)
Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many calls were made from call centres in his Department in 2004–05 using predictive diallers; how many such calls resulted in contact being made with the recipient without a Government agent available to talk to them; and what assessment he has made of the likely impact of Ofcom's policy on silent calls on the use of predictive diallers in departmental call centres. (John Hemming)
A:The Department for Transport does not use predictive diallers when making calls to members of the public. (Karen Buck, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport)
Aviation Pollution
Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what economic modelling he has undertaken to assess the impact of participation in (a) the existing and (b) an aviation-only EU emissions trading scheme on forecast growth in aviation emissions of greenhouse gases.(John Hemming)
A:At present, it is too early to provide a reliable estimate of the impact emissions trading will have on forecasts of emissions from aviation. This will depend on a number of factors including the overall number of allowances and the detailed design for the inclusion of aviation into the EU ETS. These factors have yet to be specified and will be subject to discussion with other member states' governments.(Karen Buck, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport)
Aviation PollutionQ: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what economic modelling he has undertaken of the impact of (a) different oil prices, (b) emissions trading, (c) an emissions charge and (d) an increase in air passenger duty on the growth of aviation greenhouse gas emissions. (John Hemming)
A:Our forecasts for aviation and climate change, and the assumptions underlying them, are set out in "Aviation and Global Warming", published by the Department for Transport in January 2004. The "best case" scenario emissions forecasts assumed the introduction of economic instruments to tackle climate change, resulting in improved fuel efficiency. We have not undertaken analysis to consider these specific scenarios.(Karen Buck, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport)
Aviation Pollution
Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what economic modelling has been undertaken to assess the impact of Government policy on emissions trading on tackling climate change pollution from aviation.(John Hemming)
A:Analytical and modelling work has been undertaken by consultants for the European Commission looking at the feasibility and impact of emissions trading, emissions charges, and fuel taxation. The Department has not undertaken economic modelling since any scheme would be EU wide. (Karen Buck, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport)
Air Fares
Q: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average real terms price of air fares within the UK was in each year since 1975; and what forecast he has made of average price of airfares over the next 25 years. (John Hemming)
A:There is no series giving past data in UK air fares. The national air traffic forecasts published in 2000 assumed a 1 per cent. annual decline in air fares over the period 1998 to 2020. This was revised prior to the Air Transport White Paper to a 2 per cent. per annum decline for the period up to 2030.(Karen Buck, Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Transport)
Air Fares
Q: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many calls were made from call centres in his Department in 2004–05 using predictive diallers; how many such calls resulted in contact being made with the recipient without a Government agent available to talk to them; and what assessment he has made of the likely impact of Ofcom's policy on silent calls on the use of predictive diallers in departmental call centres. (John Hemming)
A:None; the Department does not utilise predictive diallers in its call centres. (Charles Clarke, Secretary of State, Home Office)
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