The Government has not made an assessment of the potential effect of amending the licence conditions to enable energy suppliers to offer normative benchmark comparisons as an alternative to in-home displays (IHD), due to the lack of UK evidence that such an alternative to the IHD obligation would provide a similar range and level of net benefit. However the smart metering rules are designed to allow for provision of additional engagement tools including benchmark comparisons. These may complement the information provided by the IHD and deliver additional benefits. Some suppliers are already providing benchmarked energy consumption information.

By contrast, GB trials and international experience demonstrate that IHDs are instrumental to energy saving. The recently published findings of the Smart Metering Early Learning Project provide substantial new evidence that it is realistic to expect durable consumer energy savings of 3 per cent provided engagement is effective, and that larger savings are feasible in the future.

The Government have made significant progress on supporting the North sea oil and gas sector, including the announcements I made in December about an

investment allowance and other changes, although I recognise that there are very serious ongoing problems at the moment.

In addition to the measures that I described in response to the hon. Member for Southend West (Mr Amess), we have already taken action, but intend to take yet more action, to help off-gas-grid customers. We support the Buy Oil Early campaign to encourage people to stock up at good times for price and quick delivery. As my hon. Friend knows, because he attended it, this week we held the fourth ministerial round table on heating oil and liquid petroleum gas to bring together the industry, consumer groups and MPs to discuss these issues. Our amendments to the ECO—energy companies obligation—affordable warmth scheme provide stronger incentives for energy suppliers to install energy efficiency measures in off-gas-grid homes.

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.

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:

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;

the Warm Home Discount scheme, which gave over 1.2 million of the lowest income pensioners £135 off their electricity bills in winter 2013-14, and supported more than 2 million households in total;

Winter Fuel and Cold Weather payments which provide support to pensioners and vulnerable low income groups; and

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.

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 (ie those containing an elderly person, a child or someone who is long term sick or disabled) within fuel poverty policies.

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.

The Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston and Surbiton (Mr Davey), met the Secretary of State for Health, my right hon. Friend the Member for South West Surrey (Mr Hunt) in February 2014, specifically to discuss how DECC and the Department of Health can work together to tackle fuel poverty, building on previous collaboration.

The Post Office is required to maintain a network of at least 11,500 branches, and to meet the Government-set access criteria that see, for example, 99% of the national population within three miles of a post office outlet.

Sub-postmasters are private businesspeople who are contracted by Post Office Ltd to provide access to Post Office services. Where a sub-postmaster leaves the network, Post Office Ltd works to identify a new sub-postmaster in the community to provide continuity of service.

If a branch can viably convert to one of the new operating models under the Network Transformation Programme, a sub-postmaster can only choose to leave the network with compensation if another sub-postmaster is ready to provide continued access to services within the community.

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not hold the information in the format requested and it could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

HMRC does hold information relating to the totality of remissions and write-offs of tax credit overpayments. The latest account figures for remissions and write-offs can be found on page 118 of the HM Revenue and Customs annual report and accounts 2012-13, at:

https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/210244/9549-TSO-HMRC_RA_ACCESSIBLE.pdf

An EEA national is required to provide evidence that they have been allocated, or applied for, a national insurance number. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) use this to carry out a variety of checks including whether they have a right to reside. If the child being claimed for is living in the UK they are required to provide the child's birth certificate and one other form of evidence of birth—this usually being the child's passport. If the child they are responsible for is resident in another EEA country, as well as providing a birth certificate, checks are carried out with the family benefits authorities in the child's country of residence to confirm the composition of the family and whether family benefits are in payment there.

All claims falling into the above categories are subject to these checks.

It is our view that if the recently negotiated Council of Ministers' position were reflected in a finally approved directive, that the exemption of mobile cranes in domestic legislation from roadworthiness tests may need to be removed. However the directive has not yet been finalised. Negotiations continue with

MEPs considering and amending the original proposal prior to it being put as a Bill before the European Parliament.

The UK has made no specific representations related to the scope of roadworthiness tests in respect of mobile cranes during the negotiations of the Council of Ministers’ position on the European Commission's proposals.

The information requested is not available, as it is not recorded by the Department for management information purposes.

The information requested is not available, as it is not recorded by the Department for management information purposes.