| Previous Section | Home Page |
Column 411
Youth Training
Mr. McLeish : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will publish the latest figures on the youth training guarantee defined from the careers service management returns supplement of 10 September, and in particular (a) the number of clients who have left full-time education and are maintaining contact with the careers service, (b) the number of clients in the guarantees and currently seeking a youth training place and (c) the number of clients know to be endorsed for special training needs including 1991 and 1992 leavers and others for each of the regions and islands authority areas and for Scotland.
Mr. Allan Stewart : The arrangements for obtaining management information from the careers service in relation to the youth training guarantee are still developing. Discussions are taking place to ensure that the data are reliable and consistent. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Employment told the Select Committee on Employment on 21 October that she would make available to the Select Committee final figures from the October return when they are available. I shall write to the hon. Member with the figures for Scotland as soon as I am in a position to do so.
Nuclear Waste
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make it his policy to make available resources to
non-governmental organisations to travel to, attend and participate in the public inquiry beginning on 1 December into Scottish Nuclear's proposals to build a dry store for nuclear waste at Torness.
Mr. Allan Stewart [holding answer 23 October 1992] : It remains the Government's policy that it is for non-governmental organisations and individuals attending public inquiries to meet their own expenses.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Plutonium
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations Her Majesty's Government have received from (a) the United Kingdom and (b) abroad in regard to plans to export plutonium from Sellafield to (i) Japan and (ii) Europe.
Mr. Eggar : No arrangements have been made at this stage for the shipment of plutonium from the United Kingdom to Japan. My Department has received a number of communications on the export of plutonium. Plutonium arising from civil reprocessing at Sellafield is transferred overseas only subject to the application of safeguards and on receipt of assurances covering peaceful use, physical protection and controls on re-transfer.
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what criteria are used by the Government to decide which countries are suitable to receive exports of plutonium from the United Kingdom.
Mr. Eggar : All applications for the export of nuclear materials from the United Kingdom are given careful consideration before an export licence is granted. The
Column 412
guidelines for British policy on exports and transfers of nuclear materials, including plutonium, were first announced by the then Foreign Secretary, now Lord Callaghan, on 31 March 1976 at columns 515-16 and have been applied by successive Governments.Particular attention is paid to whether the receiving country is a party to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty or has an equivalent commitment or has concluded a full-scope safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency. Consideration is also given to other factors such as strategic concerns, the risk of diversion or a lack of effective export controls of the receiving country.
Coal
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what investment has been made by his Department and previously by the Department of Energy into the combined-cycle clean coal-burn topping prototype plant at Grimethorpe since the inception of the project ; what investment has been made by foreign investors in the project ; and if he will make a statement on the future of the project.
Mr. Eggar : My Department and the former Department of Energy have provided approximately£11.6 million towards the funding of the clean coal-burn topping cycle prototype plant at Grimethorpe. Overseas commitments to the topping cycle programme at Grimethorpe amount to approximately £1.4 million. Government funding ensured the successful completion of experimental work at the Grimethorpe facility earlier this year.
Experimental work to further advance various technical aspects of the topping cycle is currently being undertaken at the coal research establishment, Cheltenham. Meanwhile, my Department has provided £170,000 towards an independent expert review of the topping cycle concept to assess whether and how this technology should be taken forward. A report on the findings of this review is currently being considered by my Department.
Mr. Vaz : To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many pits there were in Leicestershire in 1962, 1970, 1980, 1990 and to date ; and how many jobs there were in those pits.
Mr. Eggar : The number of deep mines in Leicestershire, and the number of men employed at those collieries, has declined sharply due to exhaustion of economic reserves. The figures are as follows :
|Number of deep mines|Number of men
|employed
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1962 |12 |9,545
1970 |9 |7,280
1980 |9 |7,328
1990 |2 |1,099
1992 |1 |419
The one remaining mine, Asfordby, is a new colliery with extensive reserves and has benefited from £217 million of capital investment to date. It is expected to commence production in 1993-94.
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what quantities of coal were imported in each of
Column 413
the years 1985 to 1991 and the current year to date ; and how much in each year was not suitable for use in power stations.Mr. Eggar : The information requested is as follows :
Quantity (thousand tonnes)
Year |Total coal imports |Not suitable for use
|in
power stations<1>
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1985 |12,732 |8,357
1986 |10,554 |6,852
1987 |9,781 |7,065
1988 |11,685 |7,886
1989 |12,137 |8,763
1990 |14,783 |9,282
1991 |19,491 |10,281
<2>1992 |14,469 |6,316
<1> Coking coal and anthracite.
<2> January to August.
Source: Customs and Excise.
Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much German coal was imported into Britain in 1991 and so far in the current year.
Mr. Eggar : The amount of coal imported into the United Kingdom from Germany in 1991 and January to August in 1992 was as follows :
(Thousands)
|Paid |Free |Total
----------------------------------------------------
Primary (including nursery) |1,139|681 |1,820
Secondary |866 |294 |1,160
Mr. Wigley : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will take steps to ensure that surpluses within the mineworkers' pension scheme are not utilised to pay for forthcoming redundancy packages in the coal mining industry.
Mr. Eggar : This is a matter for the trustees of the mineworkers' pension scheme.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the response of Her Majesty's Government to the proposal of the European Commission permitting use of natural gas for the generation of public electricity supplies ; what assessment he has made of the implications for the use of indigenous coal resources ; and what notification of adopting such a policy was given to the House or the public in his related memorandum.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 22 October 1992] : The European Commission's 1975 directive, 75/404/EEC, restricting the use of natural gas in electricity generation was repealed on 18 March 1991 by directive 91/148/EEC in the light of the increased availability of gas and the need for generators throughout the Community to be able to switch to low- polluting fuels. This information was conveyed to the House in a reply by the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Energy, the hon. Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory), to the hon. Member for Cardiff, West (Mr. Morgan) on 16 April 1991, Official Report, column 134.
Column 414
The choice of fuel for use in power stations is a matter for the operators of those stations, subject to meeting emission limits set by Her Majesty's inspectorate of pollution, and other relevant statutory requirements.Mr. Spearing : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans of the Central Electricity Generating Board for future production of electricity from coal-burning stations were abandoned, subsequent to arrangements concerning privatisation ; and what would be the approximate cost per unit of such generation at (a) current coal costs and (b) costs expected in 1993.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 22 October 1992] : The CEGB planned the construction of three 1,800 MW coal-fired power stations in the period prior to privatisation. No application for consent was made for Kingsnorth B in Kent, and the application for Fawley B in Hampshire was subsequently withdrawn. West Burton B in
Nottinghamshire was granted consent in March 1990, but construction was not begun.
The cost of electricity from these stations would depend on the contractual terms under which the stations were constructed and operated as well as coal costs.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate he has made of the total value of stores, machinery, materials and other contracts made by British Coal with other bodies or persons, and supplied for the 31 coal pits now proposed for closure, for each of the calendar or financial years 1989 to 1991.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 22 October 1992] : My Department does not receive management information from British Coal at the level of detail requested. These are matters for British Coal.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table showing (a) the lowest price per gigajoule at which any supplier of gas or coal produces or supplies its fuel to electricity generators at 1992 prices, followed in no less than 10 categories by similar prices at equal steps to the highest price at which he expects production costs or contracts for future generating stations in the next 10 years, (b) the installed capacity for which it would be economic to generate at each respective price for coal, (c) new coal generation capacity contracted for, but not in production, (d) with minimum burn requirement on the basis of those contracts already made, (e) and (f) repetition of the two preceding columns in respect of new gas generation capacity not operating, but for which statutory approval has already been given and (g) and (h) the approximate respective capacities of gas and coal generation expected to be used in 1993, in respect of each price in that year, using levels of demand and supplies of electricity from other sources, of 1991, at each price shown in (b) and (c).
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 22 October 1992] : Under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 and preceding legislation, consents have been given that allow for the construction of around 13 GW of major--above 50 MW --gas-fired plant in England and Wales, in addition to that currently available for generation. Possession of a construction consent does not automatically mean that a project will proceed.
There is no new coal generation capacity contracted for but not currently available for generation.
Column 415
The other matters on which information is requested are commercial matters for the generating companies and fuel supply companies.World Uranium Hearings
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if his Department was represented at the world uranium hearings held in Salzburg in Austria, on 13 to 19 September.
Mr. Eggar : My Department was not represented.
Nuclear Industry (Privatisation)
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to privatise the Atomic Energy Authority and British Nuclear Fuels.
Mr. Eggar : No decisions have been taken on whether any parts of the nuclear industry should be privatised.
Electricity
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last discussed electricity pricing with the Director General of the Office of Electricity Regulation ; and what decisions were taken.
Mr. Eggar : I have consultations with the Director General of Electricity Supply from time to time on a range of issues. Licence conditions, including the electricity price controls, are a matter for the director general.
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what response he has made to the public statement of the chief executive of PowerGen on the relative costs of coal and gas-fired electricity production and on the policy of regional electricity companies on contracts for electricity ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : The relative costs of coal and gas-fired electricity depend significantly upon the contractual terms of fuel purchase and the contractual terms under which the power station is to be constructed and operated. These are commercial matters for the companies concerned. My Department will be assessing the evidence available on the comparative costs of power stations using different fuels as part of the Government's review. It is for the Director General of Electricity Supply to ensure that regional electricity companies comply with their obligation to purchase electricity from the most economic source available.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will specify the statutory authority by which the suppliers of natural gas to undertakings using such gas
Column 416
for generation for sale to the electricity pool are permitted to charge for gas that may not be consumed ; and if he will give consideration to introducing legislation to prohibit any such practice.Mr. Eggar [holding answer 22 October 1992] : The contractual arrangements between suppliers of natural gas and customers engaged in electricity generation are a commercial matter for the companies concerned.
Government Intervention
Mr. Flynn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list all occasions (a) since April 1992 when the Government intervened to assist British industries and (b) since January 1982 when the Government intervened to assist British computer and computer component manufacturers.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 19 October 1992] : My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has created a number of new industry sponsorship divisions within the Department whose role is to assist individual sectors of industry to compete in world markets. The Department also operates a wide range of schemes providing specific help to industry, including research and development support, regional selective assistance, export support and a range of support for small and medium- sized companies. Companies in the computing sector have obtained substantial benefit from these schemes over the past decade and will continue to receive support and help from my Department where this is appropriate.
LINK Initiative
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the programmes and projects approved under the LINK initiative as at 31 March 1991, 31 March 1992 and currently.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 19 October 1992] : The table below lists--in date order of announcement--each of the programmes under the LINK initiative, together with the number of projects approved in each programme for the financial years ending 31 March 1991 and 31 March 1992, and, according to information available to date, those which have been approved so far during the current financial year, ending 31 March 1993. To list all projects individually would incur disproportionate cost. Twenty-seven programmes were announced up to 31 March 1991 and a further three were announced up to 31 March 1992 ; no new programmes have been announced so far during the current financial year. Four hundred and fifty-nine projects have been approved to date.
Column 415
Programme |Start Date |Projects approved by|Projects approved by|Projects appoved
|31 March 1991 |31 March 1992 |since 31 March 1992
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Molecular Electronics |3 February 1988 |4 |0 |0
Advanced Semiconductor Materials |3 February 1988 |9 |2 |1
Industrial Measurement Systems |3 February 1988 |23 |9 |3
Eukaryotic Genetic Engineering |3 February 1988 |6 |3 |1
Nanotechnology |3 February 1988 |9 |7 |6
Biotransformations |15 April 1988 |12 |2 |0
Personal Communications |13 June 1988 |8 |8 |1
Selective Drug Delivery and Targeting |14 June 1988 |4 |0 |2
Construction Maintenance and Refurbishment |14 June 1988 |7 |2 |2
Food Processing Sciences |7 September 1988 |21 |1 |3
Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration |17 April 1989 |7 |2 |2
Optoelectronic Systems |26 April 1989 |18 |9 |2
Design of High Speed Machinery |10 May 1989 |15 |6 |2
Structural Composites |16 May 1989 |14 |6 |4
Protein Engineering |12 June 1989 |7 |4 |3
Biochemical Engineering |15 June 1989 |16 |9 |1
New Catalysts and Catalytic Processes |19 June 1989 |6 |1 |4
Power Electronic Devices and Derived Systems |27 July 1989 |4 |10 |1
Control of Plant Metabolism |19 September 1989 |4 |2 |0
Molecular Sensors |27 September 1989 |11 |6 |4
Technology for Analytical and Physical
Measurement |27 September 1989 |17 |7 |10
Transport Infrastructure and Operations |2 April 1990 |4 |9 |1
Asymmetric Synthesis |13 June 1990 |0 |1 |19
Crops for Industrial Use |26 June 1990 |1 |5 |3
Enabling Technologies for Advanced Rotorcraft |22 October 1990 |0 |2 |1
Medical Implants |11 December 1990 |0 |2 |3
Agro-Food Quality |18 December 1990 |0 |14 |3
Hydrocarbon Reservoirs |30 April 1991 |- |5 |2
Technologies for Sustainable Farming Systems |1 July 1991 |- |12 |0
Enhanced Engineering Materials |17 September 1991 |- |1 |1
|--- |--- |--
Total |227 |147 |85
Mr. Cousins: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish tables showing the cumulative and annual total of expenditure under the LINK initiative as at 31 March 1992, together with the projected outcome for March 1993, together with a breakdown of those tables showing regional expenditure.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 19 October 1992] : The table gives the cumulative and annual DTI expenditure on advanced technology programmes as at 31 March 1992 together with the projected outturn for the financial year to 31 March 1993. Information on a regional basis could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
ATP/DTI Expenditure |Amount £ --------------------------------------------------------------------- Cumulative to 31 March 1992 |47,285,663 Annual 1991-92 |17,741,694 Forecast Expenditure 1992-93 |23,460,000
Advanced Technology Programme
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the programmes and projects approved under the advanced technology programmes as at 31 March 1991, 31 March 1992 and currently.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 19 October 1992] : The table lists the programmes approved under the advanced technology programmes as at 31 March 1991, 31 March 1992 and currently. The number of projects approved under each programme is also shown. Details of the individual projects could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
Column 419
ATP Approved Projects to 15 October 1992
Programme Programme Projects approved
approved by
|31 March 1991|1991-92 |1992-93 |31 March 1991|1991-92 |1992-93
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gallium Arsenide |Y |- |- |13 |1 |-
Advanced Robotics |Y |- |- |7 |4 |1
National Electronics Research
Initiatives |Y |- |- |1 |1 |1
Wealth From The Oceans |Y |- |- |7 |8 |2
Superconductivity |Y |- |- |6 |1 |4
Information Engineering |Y |- |- |99 |21 |-
Computer Aided Engineering |Y |- |- |20 |8 |3
Systems Technology and Integration |Y |- |- |26 |4 |-
Safety Critical Systems |Y |- |- |1 |15 |1
Parallel Applications |- |Y |- |- |4 |-
Open Distributed Systems
Architecture |- |Y |- |- |1 |-
Manufacturing Organisation, People
and Systems |- |Y |- |- |4 |5
Compounds Semiconductor
Technology |- |Y |- |- |1 |2
VLSI Design Automation |- |- |Y |- |- |6
Advanced Silicon Technology |- |- |Y |- |- |2
Speech and Language Technology |- |- |Y |- |- |2
Total |9 |4 |3 |180 |73 |29
Other Approved Programmes (No Projects)
Tracked Transport Systems |- |- |Y |- |- |-
Competitive Manufacturing |- |- |Y |- |- |-
Intelligent Systems |- |- |Y |- |- |-
Innovation in Industrial Lithography |- |- |Y |- |- |-
Computer-supported Co-operative
Work |- |- |Y |- |- |-
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish tables showing the cumulative and annual expenditure on advanced technology programmes as at 31 March 1992, together with the projected outturn for 31 March 1993 and a breakdown of those totals showing regional expenditures.
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 19 October 1992] : The table details the cumulative and annual Government expenditure on collaborative research under the LINK initiative for the financial year ending 31 March 1992 and the projected outturn for the financial year ending 31 March 1993. Also shown is the cumulative expenditure at 31 March 1991, 31 March 1992 and 31 March 1993. Total expenditure should be double the Government expenditure by virtue of industry's own expenditure on LINK projects. Information on a regional basis could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
[
|1988-89-1990-91 |1991-92 Out-turn |1992-93 Projected
|Out-turn |Out-turn
|£ |£ |million
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Government
expenditure (£) |9,796,800 |17,762,600 |<1>27
Government
cumulative
expenditure (£) |9,796,800 |27,559,400 |<1>55
<1> Rounded
Parcelforce
Mr. Hain : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to introduce legislation to privatise Parcelforce ; and if he will make a statement.
Column 420
Mr. Leigh [holding answer 20 October 1992] : I have no plans to introduce legislation to privatise Parcelforce and see no need for a statement at this stage.
British Coal Pension Scheme
Mr. Mike O'Brien : To ask the President of the Board of Trade in what circumstances funds from the British Coal pension scheme may be used for expenditure incurred in connection with pit closure other than payments for the exclusive benefit of retired and serving miners.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 22 October 1992] : This is a matter for the trustees of the British Coal pension schemes.
Trentham Colliery
Ms. Walley : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) pursuant to his statement of 19 October, if he will give details of the anticipated production, seam by seam, projected for the second half of the financial year 1992-93 at Trentham colliery ; (2) if he will give details of each development for which there was a prior approval at Trentham colliery at the commencement of the 1992-93 financial year, and specify which have been shelved and the reasons in each case.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 22 October 1992] : The issues which the hon. Member raises are matters for British Coal.
Skelton Grange Power Station
Mr. Battle : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when Skelton Grange power station, Leeds is due to close.
Mr. Eggar [holding answer 22 October 1992] : This is a commercial matter for National Power, the station's owner.
|
| Home Page |