Barometer | 2 October 2010

Among the quango; Labour leadership; Power source; Gay population

Among the quangos
The government is to axe 177 quangos. Here are some of the most obscure, and their stated purposes:
Agricultural Dwelling House Advisory Committees
16 regional bodies which hear disputes over tied housing on farms
Commission for the Compact
Aids partnership between the government and charities and voluntary groups
Caribbean Board
Advises on relations between Britain and the Caribbean
Consular Stakeholder Panel
Meets twice a year to discuss issues of mutual interest between the consular service, the tourism industry and human rights groups
Darwin Advisory Committee
Advises on grants for endangered species

Labour leadership
Ed Miliband overtook his brother David to win the Labour leadership thanks to votes from unions. The brothers also led among Labour’s smaller affiliated groups:

Power sources
The world’s largest offshore wind farm has opened off the Isle of Thanet. Quantity of electricity generated by various means in 2009:
Gas 165,490 GWh
Coal 104,610 GWh
Nuclear 69,100 GWh
Onshore wind 7,564 GWh
Offshore wind 1,740 GWh
Hydro-electric 5,262 GWh
Gas from landfill sites 4,952 GWh
Solar photovoltaic panels 20 GWh
Source: Department for Energy and Climate Change

Gay population
The Integrated Household Survey, published by the Office of National Statistics, reported that 1.5 per cent of the UK population identify themselves as lesbian, gay or bisexual. How does this vary with previous surveys?
Citizenship Survey (England and Wales), 2009/10 2.3%
General Household Survey, 2008 1.1%
British Social Attitudes Survey, 2005 1.4%