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46. Mr. Cummings : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the manager of British Coal's north-eastern region ; and what matters he expects to discuss.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I have no such plans at present. However, my right hon. Friend and I do, of course, meet the chairman of British Coal regularly to discuss all aspects of the coal industry.
47. Mr. Douglas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the manager of British Coal in Scotland ; and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I last met the manager of British Coal in Scotland on 6 October 1988 during my underground visit to Castlebridge mine, when I was informed about the corporation's plans for the colliery.
Carbon Dioxide Emissions
33. Mr. Turner : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what would be the reduction in CO emissions if existing boilers were replaced by gas-condensing boilers in (a) the domestic sector and (b) public buildings.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I estimate that, on average, the replacement of an existing domestic gas fired boiler with a condensing model would reduce the boiler consumption by 15 to 20 per cent. The carbon dioxide emitted by the boiler would be reduced by a similar amount. For public buildings the equivalent figure would be around 10 per cent. An additional emission reduction would accrue if the original boiler were fired by coal or oil due to the different carbon content of the fuels.
35. Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals he expects to bring forward, following the 26 April 10 Downing street seminar, to control carbon dioxide emissions by the year 2000, 2010 or 2020.
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Mr. Michael Spicer : Electricity privatisation will encourage greater efficiency in the supply and use of electricity ; will guarantee a level of non-fossil generation, will encourage the introduction of new more efficient and less polluting technology, and will encourage electricity generation from gas. A series of tranches of generation capacity reserved exclusively for renewable sources will be set throughout the 1990s. This will guarantee renewables an additional special status within the non- fossil fuel obligation.
Electricity (Bulk Supplies)
36. Mr. Murphy : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his Department's most up-to-date estimate of the comparative cost of bulk supplies of electricity to the steel industry and other heavy industrial consumers in Britain and those for major competitors in the European Community.
Mr. Michael Spicer : I refer to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 10 April at column 335.
British Nuclear Fuels
37. Mr. Wallace : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the future of British Nuclear Fuels plc.
Mr. Michael Spicer : BNFL has contracts valued at some £4 billion, £2 billion of which are with Japan. These will pay for its investment in THORP and will be in a good position to compete for business in the future.
Central Electricity Generating Board
38. Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board ; and what matters were discussed.
45. Mr. Barron : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next plans to meet the chairman-designate of National Power ; and what issues will be discussed.
49. Mr. Ronnie Campbell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of the Central Electricity Generating Board ; and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Michael Spicer : My right hon. Friend and I regularly meet Lord Marshall to discuss matters of common interest.
Methane Gas
39. Mr. Bright : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment he has made of the prospects for the burning of methane gas in power generation.
Mr. Michael Spicer : Decisions on fossil fuel choice are matters for the industry. Virtually all the major independent generation projects known to my Department, totalling over 6 GW of capacity, are proposing to use natural gas. Moreover, the CEGB has recently applied for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's consent to construct four gas-fired power stations. I am also encouraged by the prospects for smaller landfill gas generation projects. These have the potential to make a significant contribution by the end of the century.
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Monktonhall and Bilston Glen Collieries
40. Mr. Eadie : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received regarding the future of Monktonhall and Bilston Glen collieries.
Mr. Michael Spicer : My Department has received one written representation from the Coalfield Communities Campaign.
Combined Heat and Power
41. Mr. Morley : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals he has for policies to promote the use of combined heat and power.
Mr. Peter Morrison : The creation of a competitive power market following the privatisation of the public electricity supply industry should ensure that combined heat and power is well placed to take advantage of the new structure. There will be new powers to allow CHP operators to lay heat mains in streets. We are also seeking to ensure that independent generators, including CHP operators, will be rated on a comparable basis with the rest of the electricity supply industry. My Department has provided substantial support for CHP schemes in the past and will continue to promote investment in CHP within the energy efficiency office's new "Best Practice" programme.
United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association
43. Mr. McKelvey : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of UKOOA, and what matters were discussed.
Mr. Peter Morrison : My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I meet the United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association (UKOOA) from time to time. These meetings cover a range of North sea-related issues.
Plutonium
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much plutonium from the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority stock pile since November 1964, has (a) been leased and retained, (b) been leased and returned and (c) sold to France for use in its Rapsodie test fast reactor.
Mr. Michael Spicer : No plutonium from the stockpile of the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority has been sold or leased for the Rapsodie test fast reactor since May 1979.
Independent Electricity Producers
Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the Association of Independent Electricity Producers ; what was discussed ; and what was the outcome of the meeting.
Mr. Michael Spicer : My right hon. Friend and I last met the AEIP on 5 May, when we had a useful discussion on independent electricity generation.
Advertising
Mr. Grocott : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy how much advertising air time his Department purchased with each commercial television company in each of the last five years.
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Mr. Parkinson : Arrangements for purchasing advertising air time for this Department are handled by the Central Office of Information. The information requested is not held by my Department and I understand that it has not been compiled centrally.
OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT
Zambia
Mr. Wigley : To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will publish a table indicating the extent of United Kingdom assistance to
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Zambia by way of (a) grants and (b) loans in each of the past 10 years ; and what is the sum total of outstanding loans made to Zambia which are repayable, the date by which repayment has to be made, and the level of interest payments on these loans.Mr. Chris Patten : The information is as follows :
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Loan title |Total amount outstanding |Final repayment due date |Interest rate
|£ thousand |per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zambia Exchequer Loan |(£1 million issued 17 April 1962) |78 |11 April 1987
Zambia Exchequer Loan |(£750,000 issued 27 June 1963) |103 |27 June 1988
Zambia Exchequer Loan |(£1.25 million issued 31 March 1964)|92 |31 March 1989
Zambia Development Loan 1973 |648 |30 June 1998 |Free
Zambia Loan 1978 |8,231 |31 March 2003 |2
Zambia Loan No. 2 1978 |19,366 |8 August 2003 |2
Zambia Loan 1980 |5,094 |24 January 2005 |2
Zambia Programme Aid Loan 1983 |4,490 |1 June 2008 |2
Zambia Programme Loan 1984 |5,161 |1 June 2008 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1983 |625 |30 June 1993 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1983 (Arrears) |97 |30 June 1988 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1984 (1) |97 |30 June 1994 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1984 (2) |706 |30 June 1994 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1986 |2,527 |30 June 1996 |2
|-------
Total |47,315
Outstanding Commonwealth Development Corporation loans at 31 March 1989 totalled £38.1
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million. A breakdown is not readily available. Details of outstanding debt on Overseas Development Administration loans are as follows :Column 111
Loan title |Total amount outstanding |Final repayment due date |Interest rate
|£ thousand |per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zambia Exchequer Loan |(£1 million issued 17 April 1962) |78 |11 April 1987
Zambia Exchequer Loan |(£750,000 issued 27 June 1963) |103 |27 June 1988
Zambia Exchequer Loan |(£1.25 million issued 31 March 1964)|92 |31 March 1989
Zambia Development Loan 1973 |648 |30 June 1998 |Free
Zambia Loan 1978 |8,231 |31 March 2003 |2
Zambia Loan No. 2 1978 |19,366 |8 August 2003 |2
Zambia Loan 1980 |5,094 |24 January 2005 |2
Zambia Programme Aid Loan 1983 |4,490 |1 June 2008 |2
Zambia Programme Loan 1984 |5,161 |1 June 2008 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1983 |625 |30 June 1993 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1983 (Arrears) |97 |30 June 1988 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1984 (1) |97 |30 June 1994 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1984 (2) |706 |30 June 1994 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1986 |2,527 |30 June 1996 |2
|-------
Total |47,315
Loan title |Total amount outstanding |Final repayment due date |Interest rate
|£ thousand |per cent.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Zambia Exchequer Loan |(£1 million issued 17 April 1962) |78 |11 April 1987
Zambia Exchequer Loan |(£750,000 issued 27 June 1963) |103 |27 June 1988
Zambia Exchequer Loan |(£1.25 million issued 31 March 1964)|92 |31 March 1989
Zambia Development Loan 1973 |648 |30 June 1998 |Free
Zambia Loan 1978 |8,231 |31 March 2003 |2
Zambia Loan No. 2 1978 |19,366 |8 August 2003 |2
Zambia Loan 1980 |5,094 |24 January 2005 |2
Zambia Programme Aid Loan 1983 |4,490 |1 June 2008 |2
Zambia Programme Loan 1984 |5,161 |1 June 2008 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1983 |625 |30 June 1993 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1983 (Arrears) |97 |30 June 1988 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1984 (1) |97 |30 June 1994 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1984 (2) |706 |30 June 1994 |2
Zambia Debt Rescheduling 1986 |2,527 |30 June 1996 |2
|-------
Total |47,315
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