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by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) on 5 September 1990. This document reports the findings of the joint working party of the Royal College of Radiologists and NRPB, and makes recommendations for the reduction of radiation doses to patients. Radiologists and other professionals who work in this field have a statutory obligation to keep the dose of ionising radiation to the patient as low as reasonably practicable in order to achieve the required diagnostic purpose, and we are considering what other assistance or advice can be offered by the Department of Health.Column 664
Intensive Care Cots
Ms. Harman : To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will specify the number of intensive care cots (a) in each region and (b) in each district of the last five years.
Mr. Dorrell [holding answer 28 June 1990] : The tables showing the daily average numbers of neonatal cots which are not in a maternity unit for the period from 1985 to 1989-90 are as follows, although it should be noted that some health authorities also provide intensive care facilities within maternity units.
Special and neonatal intensive care cots, by health authority, England, 1985 to 1989-90<1>
Health Authority |1985 |1986 |1987-88 |1988-89
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Northern RHA |289 |273 |258 |260 |262
Hartlepool |15 |26 |15 |15 |15
North Tees |19 |19 |19 |19 |19
South Tees |28 |21 |16 |19 |20
East Cumbria |15 |15 |15 |15 |15
South Cumbria |12 |10 |10 |10 |10
West Cumbria |12 |10 |10 |10 |10
Darlington |14 |14 |14 |14 |13
Durham |10 |10 |10 |10 |10
North West Durham |8 |8 |8 |8 |8
South West Durham |10 |10 |10 |10 |10
Northumberland |18 |18 |18 |18 |18
Gateshead |13 |13 |13 |13 |14
Newcastle |45 |45 |45 |45 |45
North Tyneside |15 |15 |15 |15 |15
South Tyneside |14 |14 |14 |14 |14
Sunderland |41 |25 |26 |26 |26
Yorkshire RHA |304 |239 |290 |282 |280
Hull |24 |24 |24 |24 |24
East Yorkshire |15 |10 |10 |10 |10
Grimsby |25 |25 |25 |19 |18
Scunthorpe |10 |10 |10 |10 |10
Northallerton |6 |6 |10 |10 |10
York |13 |10 |10 |10 |10
Scarborough |6 |8 |8 |10 |10
Harrogate |14 |14 |14 |14 |13
Bradford |36 |36 |29 |32 |32
Airedale |14 |14 |14 |14 |14
Calderdale |18 |18 |18 |18 |18
Huddersfield |18 |18 |18 |18 |18
Dewsbury |20 |20 |20 |17 |18
Leeds Western |21 |16 |16 |16 |16
Leeds Eastern |35 |35 |35 |31 |30
Wakefield |14 |14 |14 |14 |14
Pontefract |15 |15 |15 |15 |15
Trent RHA |341 |331 |321 |310 |302
North Derbyshire |22 |18 |16 |16 |16
Southern Derbyshire |28 |28 |24 |24 |24
Leicestershire |43 |43 |43 |43 |41
North Lincolnshire |21 |21 |20 |15 |15
South Lincolnshire |23 |22 |23 |23 |23
Bassetlaw |8 |8 |8 |8 |8
Central Nottinghamshire |28 |28 |28 |28 |23
Nottingham |49 |50 |45 |45 |45
Barnsley |20 |15 |13 |13 |13
Doncaster |24 |24 |24 |24 |24
Rotherham |15 |15 |15 |15 |15
Sheffield |61 |61 |62 |56 |55
East Anglian RHA |145 |135 |134 |135 |132
Cambridge |24 |24 |24 |25 |24
Peterborough |20 |20 |20 |20 |18
West Suffolk |12 |12 |12 |12 |12
East Suffolk |20 |20 |20 |20 |20
Norwich |22 |22 |22 |22 |22
Great Yarmouth and Waveney |18 |16 |16 |16 |16
West Norfolk and Wisbech |20 |12 |12 |12 |12
Huntingdon |8 |8 |8 |8 |8
North West Thames RHA |293 |297 |280 |269 |249
|North Bedfordshire|14 |14 |14 |14
South Bedfordshire |26 |26 |26 |26 |26
North Hertfordshire |20 |20 |20 |20 |13
East Hertfordshire |16 |16 |15 |14 |14
North West Hertfordshire |24 |24 |17 |18 |12
South West Hertfordshire |20 |20 |20 |20 |20
Barnet |34 |38 |36 |26 |26
Harrow |24 |24 |24 |24 |24
Hillingdon |22 |22 |22 |22 |22
Hounslow and Spelthorne |27 |27 |27 |26 |23
Ealing |10 |10 |10 |10 |10
Riverside |21 |21 |21 |18 |15
Parkside |34 |35 |28 |30 |30
North East Thames RHA |318 |300 |295 |291 |291
Basildon and Thurrock |21 |21 |17 |21 |21
Mid Essex |21 |21 |21 |21 |21
North East Essex |20 |18 |18 |18 |18
West Essex |16 |16 |16 |16 |16
Southend |16 |16 |16 |16 |16
Barking, Havering and Brentwood |31 |27 |27 |27 |27
Hampstead |18 |16 |19 |18 |18
Bloomsbury |30 |31 |22 |22 |23
Islington |20 |20 |20 |20 |20
City and Hackney |23 |14 |21 |21 |21
Newham |21 |20 |20 |20 |18
Tower Hamlets |12 |13 |12 |12 |12
Enfield |20 |20 |15 |10 |10
Haringey |17 |16 |18 |18 |18
Redbridge |18 |18 |18 |18 |18
Waltham Forest |14 |14 |14 |14 |14
South East Thames RHA |281 |277 |279 |282 |278
Brighton |22 |21 |24 |24 |24
Eastbourne |12 |12 |12 |12 |12
Hastings |12 |12 |12 |12 |12
South East Kent |19 |18 |19 |19 |19
Canterbury and Thanet |22 |22 |22 |22 |22
Dartford and Gravesham |14 |14 |14 |14 |14
Maidstone |10 |10 |10 |10 |10
Medway |19 |19 |20 |20 |20
Tunbridge Wells |17 |17 |17 |17 |17
Bexley |14 |14 |14 |14 |14
Greenwich |20 |20 |20 |20 |20
Bromley |19 |16 |15 |15 |15
West Lambeth |20 |20 |20 |20 |20
Camberwell |21 |21 |20 |20 |21
Lewisham and North Southwark |40 |40 |40 |42 |38
South West Thames RHA |187 |188 |185 |188 |189
North West Surrey |15 |15 |16 |15 |15
West Surrey and North East Hants |20 |20 |20 |12 |12
South West Surrey |14 |14 |14 |14 |14
Mid Surrey |14 |14 |14 |13 |14
East Surrey |12 |12 |12 |12 |11
Chichester |10 |10 |10 |9 |10
Mid Downs |18 |18 |18 |20 |19
Worthing |11 |10 |10 |10 |9
Croydon |19 |20 |19 |20 |20
Kingston and Esher |13 |13 |13 |13 |13
Richmond, Twickenham and Roehampton |8 |8 |8 |8 |8
Wandsworth |18 |19 |16 |17 |19
Merton and Sutton |15 |15 |16 |25 |25
Wessex RHA |193 |180 |179 |182 |183
East Dorset |28 |28 |28 |28 |28
West Dorset |13 |13 |14 |15 |15
Portsmouth and South East Hampshire |25 |25 |25 |25 |25
Southampton and South West Hampshire |22 |22 |22 |22 |22
Winchester |16 |16 |16 |16 |16
Basingstoke and North Hampshire |14 |14 |14 |14 |14
Salisbury |14 |14 |14 |14 |14
Swindon |31 |18 |18 |18 |19
Bath |21 |21 |19 |21 |21
Isle of Wight |9 |9 |9 |9 |9
Oxford RHA |194 |192 |193 |193 |183
|East Berkshire |33 |35 |35 |35
West Berkshire |30 |30 |30 |30 |28
Aylesbury Vale |13 |13 |13 |13 |13
Wycombe |18 |16 |16 |16 |16
Milton Keynes |17 |20 |21 |21 |21
Kettering |16 |16 |16 |16 |16
Northampton |32 |27 |27 |27 |27
Oxfordshire |35 |35 |35 |35 |35
South Western RHA |208 |200 |198 |166 |168
Bristol and Weston |32 |32 |32 |32 |32
Southmead |32 |30 |30 |30 |30
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly |20 |20 |20 |20 |20
Exeter |31 |31 |31 |28 |27
North Devon |6 |6 |7 |0 |2
Plymouth |24 |24 |24 |24 |24
Torbay |5 |5 |2 |0 |1
Cheltenham |12 |12 |12 |12 |12
Gloucester |20 |20 |20 |20 |20
Somerset |26 |20 |20 |0 |0
West Midlands RHA |434 |428 |400 |402 |387
Bromsgrove and Redditch |12 |10 |12 |12 |12
Herefordshire |12 |12 |12 |14 |12
Worcester and District |20 |20 |12 |12 |12
Shropshire |22 |22 |24 |22 |22
Mid Staffordshire |12 |12 |12 |12 |12
North Staffordshire |30 |30 |30 |30 |30
South East Staffordshire |14 |14 |14 |14 |15
Rugby |8 |8 |6 |8 |8
North Warwickshire |20 |20 |20 |20 |20
South Warwickshire |15 |15 |15 |15 |15
Central Birmingham |45 |45 |36 |36 |30
North Birmingham |22 |22 |22 |22 |22
South Birmingham |30 |26 |14 |14 |14
West Birmingham |25 |25 |25 |24 |23
Coventry |29 |29 |29 |29 |29
Dudley |20 |20 |20 |18 |18
Sandwell |14 |14 |13 |14 |14
Solihull |39 |39 |39 |39 |38
Walsall |20 |20 |20 |21 |21
Wolverhampton |26 |26 |26 |26 |20
Mersey RHA |188 |188 |178 |175 |172
Chester |29 |29 |23 |20 |20
Crewe |15 |15 |15 |15 |15
Macclesfield |10 |10 |10 |10 |10
Warrington |18 |18 |18 |18 |15
Liverpool |37 |37 |37 |37 |37
St Helens and Knowsley |24 |24 |20 |20 |20
Southport and Formby |11 |11 |11 |11 |11
South Sefton |20 |20 |20 |20 |20
Wirral |24 |24 |24 |24 |24
North Western RHA |341 |328 |333 |332 |334
Lancaster |16 |16 |15 |16 |16
Blackpool, Wyre and Fylde |24 |24 |18 |18 |18
Preston |29 |21 |21 |20 |20
Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley |20 |20 |20 |20 |20
Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale |17 |17 |17 |17 |17
West Lancashire |9 |9 |9 |9 |9
Bolton |21 |21 |21 |21 |21
Bury |17 |17 |17 |17 |16
North Manchester |18 |18 |18 |18 |18
Central Manchester |30 |30 |43 |41 |41
South Manchester |29 |28 |27 |28 |28
Oldham |16 |16 |16 |16 |16
Rochdale |15 |13 |15 |15 |15
Salford |16 |16 |15 |15 |18
Stockport |22 |22 |20 |20 |20
Tameside and Glossop |20 |19 |19 |19 |19
Trafford |9 |8 |8 |8 |8
Wigan |14 |14 |14 |14 |14
Special Health Authorities |40 |40 |47 |46 |41
Hammersmith and Queen Charlotte's |40 |40 |47 |46 |41
England |3,754 |3,651 |3,567 |3,513 |3,451
<1>Figures for 1987-88 to 1989-90 are not strictly comparable with earlier figures.
<2>Provisional.
Source:
SH3 return (special care baby unit cots) 1985 and 1986.
KH03 return (neonate cots not on maternity units ) 1977-88 onwards.
ENERGY
Uranium consumption
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish in the Official Report details of the United Kingdom uranium consumption for each year since 1960; and if he will set alongside this the level of world uranium consumption indicating the percentage annual growth in each case, and the predicted levels to be reached by the year 2000.
Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) on 25 January 1990 col. 817 .
The OECD/IAEA publication referred to in that answer has been updated this year. Forecast requirements now relate to Nuclear Electric and Scottish Nuclear.
British Nuclear Fuels
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish details of the expenditure on reprocessing and
decommissioning undertaken by BNFL plc in each year since 1979.
Mr. Baldry : This is a commercial matter for British Nuclear Fuels plc.
Nuclear Incidents
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish in the Official Report information supplied to his Department through the incident reporting system of the International Atomic energy Agency about nuclear incidents reported to that agency by states participating in the incident reporting system.
Mr. Baldry : No. The International Atomic Energy Agency gives its incident reporting system reports restricted circulation because they may not be publicly available in their country of origin.
Electricity Privatisation
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) pursuant to his statement of 23 July, Official Report , column 39, if he will make it his policy to negotiate with Hanson Trust plc maximum values for capital and tax allowances available to the parent company, in connection with the sale of PowerGen;
(2) what methods of advertisement to possible trade purchasers of PowerGen, other than Hanson Trust, he proposes, pursuant to his statement to the house of 23 July, Official Report , column 39.
Mr. Baldry : I refer the hon. Member to the announcement that I made on 23 August 1990, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what discussions he has had with the European Commission regarding the implications for European Community competition policy of the possible trade sale of PowerGen, pursuant to his statement to the House of 23 July, Official Report , column 39.
Column 670
Mr. Baldry : The European Commission was kept fully informed about the Government's proposals.
Plutonium
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will publish details of the current location of separated plutonium arising out of reprocessing, but originating from Magnox reactors at Bradwell and Berkeley.
Mr. Baldry : The Magnox reactors at Bradwell and Berkeley have contributed, along with other civil nuclear installations, to the stocks of plutonium held by British Nuclear Fuels plc at Sellafield for Nuclear Electric plc and by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. All this material is subject to Euratom safeguards and to the terms of the UK/Euratom/IAEA safeguards agreement. Details of the plutonium held at 31 March 1989 were given in the press release issued by my Department on 5 December 1989, copies of which were placed in the Library of the House. In addition, some separated plutonium from Bradwell and Berkeley was consigned to the United States before 1971 under the United States/United Kingdom mutual defence agreement. The United States authorities have confirmed subsequently that this material has been used for civil purposes.
Radioactive Material
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of radioactive material produced at nuclear installations in the United Kingdom is not subject to the 1977 tripartite safeguards agreement between the United Kingdom, Euratom and the International Atomic Energy Agency in each year since 1983 ; and if he will publish in the Official Report details of the international export of plutonium from civil nuclear reactors in the United Kingdom to (a) European Community Countries and (b) third countries.
Mr. Baldry : All uranium and plutonium produced in civil nuclear installations is subject to Euratom safeguards and to the terms of the UK/Euratom/IAEA tripartite Agreement of 6 September 1976 (IAEA INFCIRC 263) at all times.
For information on exports of civil plutonium, including the recipient countries, I refer the hon. Member to the answer in Official Report , 17 January 1989, at column 157, and to the Department's annual press releases on plutonium production, (produced since the year 1986-87), which are available in the Library of the House.
Nuclear Power Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what funding the United Kingdom makes available to the International Atomic Energy Agency in respect of its safeguarding activities and if he will give a breakdown of that funding in each year since the United Kingdom first contributed.
Mr. Baldry : The United Kingdom contributes approximately five per cent. of the International Atomic
Column 671
Energy Agency s general funding through an annual membership subscription. It is a matter for the IAEA to decide, subject to the approval of the board of governors, as to how much of these funds are allocated to the activities of its safeguards department. In addition to this funding, the United Kingdom provides a sum annually to send IAEA inspectors on training courses arranged in the United Kingdom.Gas Fields
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for energy whether any of the additional costs of taking the proposed central area transmission system pipeline to Teesside, rather than the shorter route to a landfall at St. Fergus, will be met from public funds by offsets against petroleum revenue tax, and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Moynihan : The petroleum revenue tax liabilities and reliefs of companies participating in the proposed central area transmission system would fall to be assessed in due time by the oil taxation office in the light of the actual costs of the project and the revenues it earned. If the cost of the proposed pipeline is admissible for petroleum revenue tax relief, this would apply to a landfall at either Teesside or St. Fergus.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if there are any plans to develop the Drake, Maggie or Hawkins fields ; and if he will give details ;
(2) if he has had any discussions about, or received any applications under annex B, for the development of the Maggie, Drake or Hawkins fields.
Mr. Moynihan : No such plans or applications have yet been received by my Department ; neither has the Department had recent discussions with any of the operators concerned about possible development of the fields.
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will give details of any requirement upon companies developing gas fields to recover gas condensate and of any regulations relating to this ; and if he will make a statement ;
(2) if he will give details of any guidance issued to companies developing gas fields about or relating to the recovery of gas condensate ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Moynihan : In considering plans for the development of gas fields on the UKCS my Department seeks to ensure that, where it is economic to do so, all hydrocarbons, including condensate liquids, will be recovered to the maximum extent that is technically achievable. Since the optimum recovery procedure differs from field to field, the Department bases its discussions with operators on specific technical studies of the individual field concerned. In addition my officials have regularly participated in conferences and specialist seminars at which general guidance has been provided to the industry on the Department's criteria for the development of reservoirs containing condensate liquids.
Power Station, Teesside
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what involvement he has had with Northern Electric and the Neptune Group and their plans to locate a gas-fired power station in Teesside ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 672
Mr. Baldry : My Department is aware of the Neptune Group's interest in constructing a 1,050 MW combined cycle gas turbine power station on Teesside. However my right hon. Friend has not yet received either an application under section 14 of the Energy Act 1976 for his agreement to use gas as the fuel in such a station or an application under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for his consent to construct the station.
Foreign Magnox Fuel (Reprocessing)
Dr. Thomas : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what are the volumes of intermediate-level waste, low-level waste and high-level waste produced in the United Kingdom by the reprocessing of foreign magnox fuel that has been returned to the original owners of the fuel for each of the years from 1965 to 1990 inclusive ; and what are the projected volumes to 1999 ;
(2) what are the volumes of intermediate-level waste, low-level waste, and high-level waste produced in the United Kingdom by the reprocessing of foreign magnox fuel that has not been returned to the original owners of the fuel, for each of the years 1965 to 1990, inclusive ; and what are the projected volumes to 1989.
Mr. Baldry : Since 1976 all overseas reprocessing contracts have contained options for the return of wastes arising. For the Government's policy with regard to the return of such wastes, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Member for Eddisbury (Mr. Goodlad) to the hon. Member for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on 2 May 1986 at columns 500-01. No waste from the reprocessing of overseas magnox fuel has yet been returned. The total projected volumes of waste from reprocessing magnox fuel irradiated at overseas power stations are :
cubic metres
|Pre-76 contracts |Post-76 contracts
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
High-level waste |20 |20
Intermediate-level waste |1,600 |1,700
Low-level waste |44,000 |<1>10,000
<1>Compacted.
From 1993 all low-level waste will be compacted, thus reducing its volume.
Neptune Project
Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give details of the type and level of grant assistance or tax relief available for the Neptune project ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : No formal proposals for the project have been submitted to my right hon. Friend, whose approval would be required before it could proceed. Teesside, the Neptune location, has development area status, and is thus an area where regional selective assistance applies. No application for assistance has been received by the Department of Trade and Industry. It would be for that Department to determine the eligibility of the project for such assistance. The implications of any capital expenditure on the project for the tax positions of the companies concerned are a matter for the company and the Inland Revenue in each case.
Column 673
Personal Data
Mr. Cohen : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether his Department will take positive steps to discuss with the Data Protection Registrar all his Department's legislation that impacts on the use, collection, processing or holding of personal data ; and whether he will make a statement.
Mr. Wakeham : I have reminded my officials of the need to consult the registrar about proposed legislation which might affect or be affected by the Data Protection Act 1984.
Energy Efficiency
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received concerning the home energy efficiency scheme.
Mr. Baldry : My Department received a large number of responses to the consultation paper published earlier this year from both voluntary and commercial organisations. It also received a number of letters from interested individuals, including Members of Parliament, and my right hon. Friend the former Minister of State for Energy met the director of Neighbourhood Energy Action and representatives of relevant trade associations before details of the scheme were finalised.
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what steps his Department will take to publicise the home energy efficiency scheme.
Mr. Baldry : The administering agency for the home energy efficiency scheme will agree arrangements for publicity on the scheme with my department. It is in that agency's own financial interests to ensure that take-up of the scheme fully utilises the resources available for grants.
Mr. Andrew Bowden : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, when he expects to be in a position to publish details of the home energy efficiency scheme.
Mr. Baldry : Regulations governing the operation of the home energy efficiency scheme were laid on 3 September 1990, and the award of the contract for the administration of the scheme to Neighbourhood Energy Action was announced on 1 October.
Petrol Prices
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1978 in terms of pence per gallon the fob export and cif import price of (a) crude oil and (b) petrol together with the United Kingdom ex- refinery price of petrol, excluding tax.
Mr. Moynihan : The figures requested are given in the following table :
Column 674
Pence per gallon<1>
Crude oil Petrol<2> UK refinery
|Export |Import |Export |Import |petrol price<3>
|price |price |price |price |(premium
|(fob) |(fob) |(fob) |(cif) |leaded)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978 |48.5 |49.4 |66.7 |67.4 |76.8
1979 |55.1 |51.2 |87.8 |94.4 |96.4
1980 |72.4 |64.6 |95.6 |90.5 |105.1
1981 |80.0 |75.6 |97.7 |96.4 |105.4
1982 |77.9 |78.8 |92.3 |92.3 |97.4
1983 |77.3 |78.0 |88.5 |93.7 |100.1
1984 |80.2 |81.7 |87.1 |91.9 |96.5
1985 |77.3 |78.2 |87.1 |89.8 |98.9
1986 |35.1 |35.4 |47.6 |47.4 |58.9
1987 |36.5 |36.4 |42.5 |46.8 |58.5
1988 |26.2 |25.6 |35.0 |35.9 |48.6
1989 |31.3 |30.7 |40.3 |46.5 |55.0
(1) Revalued to 1989 prices using the implied deflator for gross domestic product (at market prices).
(2) Includes aviation spirit.
(3) Net sales proceeds to refiner, before taking account of marketing and distribution costs.
Sources: Export and import prices from Overseas Trade Statistics, refinery price form Department of Energy
statistics.
Pence per gallon<1>
Crude oil Petrol<2> UK refinery
|Export |Import |Export |Import |petrol price<3>
|price |price |price |price |(premium
|(fob) |(fob) |(fob) |(cif) |leaded)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1978 |48.5 |49.4 |66.7 |67.4 |76.8
1979 |55.1 |51.2 |87.8 |94.4 |96.4
1980 |72.4 |64.6 |95.6 |90.5 |105.1
1981 |80.0 |75.6 |97.7 |96.4 |105.4
1982 |77.9 |78.8 |92.3 |92.3 |97.4
1983 |77.3 |78.0 |88.5 |93.7 |100.1
1984 |80.2 |81.7 |87.1 |91.9 |96.5
1985 |77.3 |78.2 |87.1 |89.8 |98.9
1986 |35.1 |35.4 |47.6 |47.4 |58.9
1987 |36.5 |36.4 |42.5 |46.8 |58.5
1988 |26.2 |25.6 |35.0 |35.9 |48.6
1989 |31.3 |30.7 |40.3 |46.5 |55.0
(1) Revalued to 1989 prices using the implied deflator for gross domestic product (at market prices).
(2) Includes aviation spirit.
(3) Net sales proceeds to refiner, before taking account of marketing and distribution costs.
Sources: Export and import prices from Overseas Trade Statistics, refinery price form Department of Energy
statistics.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing the average cif import price of a gallon of crude oil and the average fob export price of petrol for each month of 1990 to date, the corresponding United Kingdom ex-refinery price of petrol, excluding tax, and the current crude price at $25 and $30 a barrel, respectively, together with the current ex-refinery price of petrol.
Mr. Moynihan : The figures available, which are still provisional, are given in the table.
Column 675
Pence per gallon
|Export price |Import price |Export price |Import price |United
|Kingdom
|refinery
|petrol price<2>
|(premium
1990 |(fob) |(cif) |(fob) |(cif) |leaded)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
January |35.9 |34.8 |41.9 |46.7}
February |43.0 |35.0 |42.7 |45.6} |56.1
March |32.4 |31.7 |42.8 |45.0} |46.7
April |30.3 |28.8 |44.8 |48.5}
May |30.4 |27.6 |44.1 |46.9}
June |27.3 |26.4 |43.8 |49.3} |59.1
July |28.1 |26.9 |43.6 |47.2}
Sources: Export and import prices from Overseas Trade Statistics, refinery price from Department of Energy
statistics.
<1>Includes aviation spirit.
<2>Net sales proceeds to refiner, before taking account of marketing and distribution costs. Data are available
only quarterly.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, what information he has on petrol prices per litre in Germany, France, Holland, Italy, Spain and the United States of America (a) in December 1989, (b) at the latest available date and (c) the percentage increase since 2 August.
Mr. Moynihan : The petrol prices are given in the table for the countries requested (a) in December 1989, (b) at 17 September, which is the latest available date. At (c) the percentage increase since 30 July is given, as this is the nearest date prior to 2 August for which the Department of Energy has prices. Prices are in pence per litre (including tax and duty) for premium petrol, except those for the USA which are for regular unleaded.
|(a) |(b) |(c)
|December |17 September |Percentage
|1989 |increase
|since 30 July
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Germany |44.1 |48.7 |15.7
France |53.1 |59.7 |14.3
Holland |51.9 |58.1 |11.8
Italy |68.5 |73.7 |11.1
Spain |43.9 |47.7 |10.1
USA |16.2 |17.6 |15.6
Mr. Hoyle : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will seek powers to issue an order freezing petrol prices at the level which appertained prior to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and direct that oil companies must justify any application for a price rise with his Department.
Mr. Moynihan : No. Price controls below market levels stop the market working and affect availabilities. France has now abandoned the price controls it applied in August and September which restrained prices less well than the approach the United Kingdom and other countries have followed. The hon. Member may also be aware of the Director General of Fair Trading's conclusions about price control in his report published on 28 September.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how many meetings he has had with oil companies to discuss heating oil prices since 2 August;
(2) how many meetings he has had with oil companies to discuss petrol prices since 2 August.
Mr. Moynihan : My right hon. Friend and I regularly meet representatives of the oil companies and discuss a range of issues including oil product prices.
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Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what value and quantity of oil was bought and sold by British companies on (a) the Rotterdam market and (b) long-term contracts in each year since 1980.
Mr. Moynihan : Data are not available to the Department in the precise form requested. Figures are available from the major importers of crude oil into the United Kingdom showing their purchases under continuing supply agreements (i.e., long-term agreements) and other purchases. The figures, which cover a majority of crude oil imports, are shown in the table below, but are available only from 1983 onwards:
Continuing supply Non-continuing supply
agreements agreements
|Value US$|Quantity |Value US$|Quantity
|million |million |million |million
|barrels |barrels
------------------------------------------------------------
1983 |3,268 |109 |1,171 |39
1984 |2,251 |79 |1,350 |47
1985 |2,122 |77 |1,812 |65
1986 |1,740 |123 |892 |64
1987 |2,393 |132 |1,251 |70
1988 |2,259 |150 |720 |50
1989 |3,333 |188 |999 |57
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the refinery input cost in terms of a gallon of crude oil at $20 and $30 a barrel.
Mr. Moynihan : The input costs to a refinery are the cost of the crude oil plus any delivery costs to the refinery not included in that price. Delivery costs vary greatly, depending on the distance and the method of transport (ie pipeline, barges, tanker) and the going rate for transport at that time, and are not directly related to the price of the crude oil itself.
The Department does not collect information on delivery costs or delivered prices of crude oil.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for energy whether he will publish in the Official Report a table showing for each year since 1978 and for the first six months of 1990 the average ex- refinery price of petrol less tax in the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy as well as the current price.
Mr. Moynihan : The Department has limited information on ex-refinery prices. The figures presented in the following table are for pump prices excluding tax for the countries and periods requested.
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Petrol price less tax (pence/litre)
|West |Italy |United
|Germany |Kingdom
---------------------------------------------
1978 |10.09 |8.82 |8.20
1979 |11.51 |9.39 |11.90
1980 |14.13 |13.56 |15.20
1981 |16.88 |15.61 |16.50
1982 |16.94 |17.57 |16.70
1983 |17.76 |18.77 |18.00
1984 |18.92 |18.96 |18.30
1985 |19.61 |19.20 |19.70
1986 |13.00 |12.72 |13.59
1987 |13.18 |13.36 |13.60
1988 |11.61 |12.48 |12.30
1989 |13.98 |14.76 |14.70
1990
January |15.46 |15.53 |15.14
February |14.59 |15.90 |15.08
March |15.04 |16.11 |15.12
April |14.73 |16.27 |16.02
May |15.38 |16.10 |15.64
June |14.17 |15.44 |15.54
17 September |20.73 |21.09 |21.69
Oil Companies (Gifts)
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what entertainment or gifts have been offered by the oil companies and accepted by civil servants in his Department in their official capacity in each of the past three years.
Mr. Moynihan : All gifts received by civil servants in their official capacity have to be reported and recorded. Excluding minor items of a seasonal or promotional nature, such as calendars or diaries, officials accepted, and were authorised to accept, from oil companies, one gift in 1987, two in 1988 and two in 1989. All were valued at less than £20.
It is frequently essential to the work of the Department for officials to attend working lunches and working dinners and to attend other functions which further the work of the Department. Some of these functions can be classified as entertainment because they are cultural or sporting events. Acceptance of invitations to these must be reported to senior officers, who will consider whether the work of the Department will be forwarded and whether the invitation is appropriate. The only full year for which my Department has records of such social invitations is 1989. In that year 239 of them were received from oil companies and 114 of them accepted.
Orimulsion Fuel
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimate he has made of the impact upon Snowdonia of the burning of orimulsion fuel at power stations ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Baldry : I understand that PowerGen is conducting orimulsion combustion trials which aim to assess the potential of orimulsion as a fuel, including environmental effects. The trials are being conducted in consultation with Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will meet Friends of the Earth Cymru to discuss the environment in Snowdonia consequent upon the burning of orimulsion fuel at Ince power station.
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Mr. Baldry : I have had no request for a meeting from Friends of the Earth Cymru.
Mr. Barry Jones : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his policy concerning the burning of orimulsion fuel at Ince power station.
Mr. Baldry : It is an operational matter for the generating companies to decide which fuels to burn in their power stations.
Oil Supply
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, how many days' oil supply companies are required to maintain for emergency purposes.
Mr. Moynihan : Orders made under the Energy Act 1976 require contingency oil stocks to be held by all companies supplying petroleum products to the United Kingdom market if their total deliveries exceed 50,000 tonnes per annum. Refiners must hold stocks equivalent to 76.5 days of their previous calendar year deliveries ; non-refiners must hold 66 days.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Trade Statistics
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the increase between 1985 and May 1990 in United Kingdom production of intermediate goods for use in the United Kingdom ; what was the corresponding increase in the volume of imports ; and what is the implied increase in the import content of goods manufactured in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Sainsbury : Information on the volume of imports of intermediate goods is published in the "Monthly Review of Overseas Trade Statistics" tables C9 and C14. Other information requested is not readily available.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will publish in the Official Report a list of finished capital goods whose exports have more than doubled since 1985, together with the percentage increase in imports and in United Kingdom output.
Mr. Sainsbury : On the basis of trade analysed in terms of the industries of which they are the principal product there are no capital goods industries whose exports have more than doubled in value since 1985.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the reasons why exports of intermediate goods have increased by less than 30 per cent. in volume since 1985 ; and if he will publish a list of the products for which there was no increase. Mr. Sainsbury : It is not the policy of this Government to set targets for exports, which result from action by individual companies. In August the seasonally adjusted volume of exports of intermediate goods was 37 per cent. above the monthly average in 1985.
Estimates are not available of the volume of trade in individual products classified as intermediate goods. Trade
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in goods analysed in terms of the industries of which they are the principal products gives a rough indication of intermediate products where the volume of exports has not increased since 1985. The industries are :AH 3410 Insulated wires and cables
AH 3434 Electrical equipment for motor vehicles
AH 3470 Electric lamps and lighting equipment
AH 3740 Watches, clocks and other timing devices
Mr. Spearing : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many officials in his Department are employed in collecting and collating information and statistics concerning trade between the United Kingdom, other members of the European Economic Community and third countries, respectively ; and if he envisages any change in their duties and the nature of published information from 1991 until the end of the decade.
Mr. Sainsbury : There are some 950 officials directly engaged on overseas trade matters, and the provision of advice and information about export opportunities, in the Department's overseas trade divisions and regional offices. Approximately 17 officials in the economics, market intelligence and statistics division work with published trade statistics. At present no significant changes in their duties are envisaged.
The collecting and collation of trade statistics is the responsibility of the Central Statistical Office and HM Customs and Excise.
Computers
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether United Kingdom exports of computers imported from non- European Economic Community countries have to be identified as such on export to other European Economic Community countries.
Mr. Sainsbury : No, unless individual contracts require it.
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