Notice given 21 April 2006

1698  Senator Allison: To ask the Minister representing the Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs—Can a copy of the report into the review of the In-Home Care Program be provided; if not, why not.

Senator Allison: To ask the Ministers listed below (Question Nos 1703-1704)—

(1) Is the Minister aware of the United Kingdom (UK) study of ‘Sex and relationship education for 13-16 year olds: Evidence from England’ conducted by the RIPPLE Study Team and reported in Sex Education , Volume 6, No. 1, February 2006.

(2) Is the Minister aware that the UK Government has, in recent years, focused on the need to improve sex and relationship education (SRE) in schools in order to reduce the rates of teenage pregnancies and the number of young people contracting sexually-transmitted infections (STIs).

(3) Given the similar rates of teenage pregnancy and STIs in Australia, does the Minister share the UK Government’s policy objective on this issue.

(4) Is the Minister aware that UK studies have thus far shown that:

(a) often little time is allocated for the delivery of SRE, it is delivered too late for many students and tends to have an overly biological focus;

(b) SRE has failed to address affective issues around emotions and relationships, attitudes or skills development;

(c) lack of time available for planning and delivery of SRE; and

(d) lack of teachers’ confidence and commitment, embarrassment and lack of training, and difficulties with implementing and monitoring a cross-curricular approach.

(5) Does the Minister consider that these may also be issues in Australia.

(6) When was the last time a study was conducted into SRE in Australian schools.

(7) What plans does the Minister have to:

(a) commission research into SRE;

(b) discuss teenage pregnancy, STIs and/or SRE with state and territory health and education ministers; and

(c) reduce the current rates of teenage pregnancies and teenage STIs.

1703 Minister representing the Minister for Health and Ageing

1704 Minister representing the Minister for Education, Science and Training

 1708  Senator Allison: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Heritage—

(1) What environmental taxes on cars, petrol, wood and other products have recently been imposed by China.

(2) Were these environmental taxes negotiated as part of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate; if not, how do they relate to the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.

(3) To what extent is China using market-based mechanisms to address greenhouse abatement and/or avoidance.

(4) To what extent is each of the other parties to the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate, including Australia, using market-based mechanisms to address greenhouse abatement and/or avoidance.

(5) To what extent is China using the expansion of nuclear power to address greenhouse abatement and/or avoidance by 2020.

(6) Does, or will, nuclear power expansion form part of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate; if so, can details be provided.

(7) Is it still the case that Australia’s greenhouse emissions are expected to increase by more than 20 per cent above 1990 levels by 2020; if not, what is the anticipated increase.

(8) How does Australia’s increase above 1990 levels by 2020 compare with each of the other countries in the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate.

(9) Does the Government accept that to avoid dangerous climate change, global greenhouse emission reductions must be within the range of 15 per cent to 30 per cent by 2020; if not, what percentage reduction does the Government consider necessary.

(10) (a) Is it the case that China plans to expand renewable energy to 15 per cent of power generated by 2020; and (b) was this decision part of the Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate agreement; if so, what were the commitments of other parties to the agreement with respect to renewable energy.

1709  Senator Allison: To ask the Minister for the Environment and Heritage—With reference to the answer to question on notice No. 1115 (Senate Hansard , 8 November 2005, p. 144), which stated  ‘The Vision Statement for the Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate explicitly includes wind power as one of the areas for collaboration by partner countries. However, no decisions have yet been made on specific implementation measures or arrangements.  These issues will be discussed at the initial ministerial meeting of partner countries, which will be held in Australia in November 2005’:

(1) What were the results of that meeting of partner countries with regard to renewable energy.

(2) Have the industry development mechanisms to accelerate the generation of wind power, as proposed by the Global Wind Energy Council, been agreed to; if not, why.

(3) Have Australia’s commitments to renewables been affected by the decision to invoke the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC) on the Bald Hills Wind Farm: if so, how.

 (4) Can details be provided on progress with the states and territories through the Ministerial Council on Energy to reduce regulatory and technical impediments to renewable energy uptake, with a particular focus on wind energy.

(5) What share of: (a) total renewable energy; and (b) total energy, does the Government anticipate will be generated by wind by: (i) 2010, (ii) 2015, and (iii) 2020.

(6) (a) What share of the renewable energy market does the Government consider will be captured by Australia’s renewable energy industry in: (i) 2010, (ii) 2015, and (iii) 2020; (b) what would this mean in terms of investment and export income and jobs in Australia; and (c) if no projection has been made, why not.

(7) What is the current estimate of greenhouse emission abatement and/or avoidance for each of the following Federal Government programs and by when will this be achieved:

(a) $14 million Wind Energy Forecasting Capability;

(b) $20 million Advanced Electricity Storage Technologies Program; and

(c) $100 million Renewable Energy Development Initiative.

(8) Can a progress report on each of these programs be provided.

(9) Can a progress report be provided on the Program Guidelines for the Low Emissions Technology Demonstration Fund, a draft of which was released in June 2005.

(10) What are the criteria to assess technologies to be funded under the Low Emissions Technology Fund.

(11) What is the process to asses  technologies.

(12) What is the timeframe for implementation of the Low Emissions Technology Fund.

(13) (a) What projects have been funded so far; and (b) can details be provided of the timeframe for emissions abatement and/or avoidance.

(14) Would the development of nuclear power qualify for the Low Emissions Technology Fund.

(15) Has there been an application under the Low Emissions Technology Fund for development related to nuclear power; if so, can details be provided.