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D Notices
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about his review of the D notice system including the scope of his review, the period of time it will take and the organisations that will be consulted.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The management of the D notice system is the responsibility of the defence press and broadcasting committee. I understand that the committee,
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which is composed of representatives of Government Departments and of the press and broadcasting media, decided at a recent meeting to enlarge its annual review of the D' notices. It will consider the purpose, scope and operation of the system in the light of the changed international scene and of the Government's commitment to greater openness. The committee intends to complete this work by the spring of 1993 and is inviting those who wish to do so to contribute to its secretary by the end of the year.Army Board of Inquiry
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the rules covering the Army Board of Inquiry's reports ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Service boards of inquiry are internal inquiries held in private, to establish the facts of the matter under investigation and where appropriate to make recommendations to avoid a recurrence. The rules governing Army boards of inquiry and their reports are set out in the Board of Inquiry (Army) Rules 1956 (SI 630/1956). Related administrative instructions are included in annex A to chapter 5 of the Queen's Regulations for the Army. Both publications are available in the Library of the House.
The distribution of the reports of service boards of inquiry is normally limited to those service or Ministry authorities whose function and responsibilities require them to see the findings of the inquiry. My Department has discretion to release to others on an exceptional basis.
Helicopters
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will give the number of (a) EH101, (b) Lynx, (c) Sea King and (d) NH90 helicopters that have been ordered since 9 April 1987, giving the date the order was placed and the delivery or expected delivery date ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Aitken : Fourty-four EH101 anti-submarine warfare helicopters were ordered in 1991 for delivery phased over 1996-2001. Sixteen Lynx helicopters were ordered in 1988 and were delivered between 1990 and 1992. Seven Sea King helicopters were ordered in 1987 and delivered between 1989 and 1990. Negotiations for the procurement of six Sea King helicopters announced by my predecessor on 19 February this year ( Official Report, column 332) are almost complete. No NH90 helicopters have been ordered. The former Secretary of State for Defence explained on 9 April 1987 ( Official Report, col. 470) that we were no longer participating in the NH90 programme.
Search and Rescue
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his announcement about the future of the search and rescue forces on 21 October, what steps he is taking to ensure that the standards for rescue at sea as set by the United Kingdom search and rescue committee will not be breached ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The future RAF search and rescue (SAR) helicopter force will make virtually the same
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contribution as now to meeting the helicopter coverage group criteria for SAR helicopter coverage around the United Kingdom for civil marine and aviation purposes. The rationale for and implications of the changes in the force are set out in the open Government document "The Future Provision of Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Helicopters", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the bases where he expects to deploy the six Sea King HAR 3 helicopters for the search and rescue service, which were ordered in 1991- 92 with the in-service date of 1996 ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : I refer the hon. Member to the open government document "The Future Provision of Royal Air Force Search and Rescue Helicopters", a copy of which I have placed in the Library of the House.
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the organisations with whom he consulted about the review of the search and rescue service and the subsequent decisions announced by him on 21 October.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : The organisations consulted were the Government Departments with a functional or regional interest in search and rescue matters : the Department of Transport and Home Office, the Welsh, Scottish, Northern Ireland and Foreign and Commonwealth Offices, and the Treasury.
European Fighter Aircraft
Dr. David Clark : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place a copy of the industrial study for the European fighter aircraft, commissioned by Eurofighter, in the Library.
Mr. Aitken : I regret that this is not possible. The report the hon. Member requests is a NATO classified document. I have however placed in the Library a copy of an unclassified synopsis produced by British Aerospace.
Dismounted Public Duties
Mr. Channon : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence who were the members of the working party who advised him on the future of dismounted public duties in London.
Mr. Archie Hamilton : Membership of the inter-departmental public duties working group was drawn from the Ministry of Defence, the Home Office, the Department of the Environment, the Royal Household, the Metropolitan police, the Ministry of Defence Police, the Historic Royal Palaces Agency and the Tower of London.
Household Cavalry
Mr. Channon : To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what changes he proposes to mounted ceremonial duties by the Household Cavalry.
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TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Energy Policy
Mr. Flynn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's energy policy.
Mr. Eggar : It is the Government's energy policy to achieve, through promoting competition and developing competitive markets, secure energy supplies at the lowest possible prices, diversity of supply and in decision making ; meeting the customers' needs with maximum efficiency ; and maximising the economic exploitation of the United Kingdom's energy resources, while at the same time meeting the growing requirements of environmental policy.
EC Competition Commissioner
Mr. Flynn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent discussions he has had with the European Commissioner for competition on (a) energy pricing policy in the United Kingdom and (b) the United Kingdom semi-conductor manufacturing industry.
Mr. Eggar : My right hon. Friend has had no recent discussions with the European Commissioner for competition on either United Kingdom energy pricing policy or the United Kingdom semi-conductor manufacturing industry.
Mining Industry
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the President of the Board of Trade in what circumstances Her Majesty's Government have the right to pay subsidies to British Coal without first seeking the approval of the European Commission.
Mr. Eggar : Under decision 2064/86/ECSC, all state aids by member states to their coal industries must be approved by the European Commission.
Sir Teddy Taylor : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what advice has been given by the European Commission on its policy relating to future requests from the member states of the EC on subsidies to coal mining ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Eggar : The agreed policy under which the Commission may give authorisation for state aids to member states' coal industries is set out in current decision--2064/86/ECSC. This decision stipulates that such aid must help to achieve one or more of the following objectives :
Improvement of competitivity of the coal industry, which contributes to assure a better security of supply.
Creating new capacities provided that they are economically viable.
Solving the social and regional problems related to developments in the coal industry.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what public expenditure will be involved in the measures required to safely seal and to protect against future aquifer contamination the 31 coal mines the closure of which has been recently announced.
Mr. Eggar : The total level of expenditure involved will depend on the decisions eventually taken on the future of these pits. The expenditure at any particular pit that is closed depends on the geological circumstances.
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Fuel Cells
Mr. Dalyell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will institute a study of legislation in the state of California relating to zero pollution emissions, and the use of fuel cells in hydrogen.
Mr. Eggar : My Department has already undertaken a number of studies on fuel cells and I refer the hon. Member to my answers to his other questions on 13 July at column 508 . On the matter of Californian state emissions regulations, these are well documented in technical publications and are available to the public.
Property Misdescriptions
Mrs. Ann Winterton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on the progress which has been made in implementing the Specified Offences Order under the terms of the Property Misdescriptions Act 1991.
Mr. Leigh : My Department circulated a draft Specified Offences (No. 2) (Amendment) Order, to be made under the Estate Agents Act 1979, for consultation last December. We intend that implementation should coincide with that of the proposed Property Misdescriptions (Specified Matters) Order, which my hon. and noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Consumer Affairs and Small Firms intends to lay before Parliament as soon as possible.
Electricity
Mr. Nicholas Winterton : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) what action is currently being taken by the European Commission in order to ensure a free and fair market in electricity throughout the European Community ;
(2) what action he is taking to ensure that other European Community electricity generating companies do not benefit from state subsidies or cross subsidies.
Mr. Eggar : The European Commission has brought forward proposals designed to open up markets in electricity and natural gas throughout the Community. Discussion on the proposals is continuing. They provide for greater transparency in the operation of EC electricity utilities and should eliminate any state subsidies or cross subsidies from which such utilities or their customers may currently benefit.
Parcelforce
Mr. Allen : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress he has made since his statement to the House on the future of Parcelforce.
Mr. Heseltine : Since my announcement to the House on 15 July 1992, my Department has been working with the Post Office and our advisers to consider a range of issues, including the timing and method of sale. I have received several expressions of interest in Parcelforce and look forward to its transfer to that private sector as soon as possible.
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Assisted Areas
Mr. Fatchett : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he expects to publish the outcome of his review of the assisted areas map ; and if he will make a statement.
Mr. Sainsbury : The public consultation paper on the assisted areas map review issued in June stated that the Government's aim was to implement a revised map early in 1993, following the necessary clearance with the European Commission. This remains our intention.
Uranium Mining, Namibia
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has received on the findings of the special safety monitoring commission sent to inspect the Rio Tinto Zinc Rossing uranium mine in Namibia in September to evaluate the health effects of mining uranium exported to the United Kingdom.
Mr. Eggar : The Government of Namibia has made a report in the form of a press report on this International Atomic Energy Agency mission. A copy of the press release has been placed in the Library of the House.
Plutonium
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he will publish the sixth annual plutonium production and storage figures.
Mr. Eggar : The annual plutonium figures are being compiled and the information will be published shortly.
Commonwealth of Independent States
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his recent visit to the Commonwealth of Independent States.
Mr. Heseltine : I visited Azerbaijan and Russia from 27 to 30 September, leading a team of 13 senior business men. In Azerbaijan I had high-level meetings with President Elchibey and his Government, supported BP's recent success in securing exclusive negotiating rights for the exploration and development of two potentially very large oilfields under the South Caspian sea, signed a joint declaration on economic co-operation and helped to pave the way for other companies to win further business.
In Russia, I met Vice-President Rutskoi, acting Prime Minister Gaidar and a number of other Ministers, particularly deputy Prime Minister Shokhin with whom I held the first meeting of a new steering committee on trade and investment. I signed the terms of reference of this committee and a joint declaration on economic co-operation. I discussed the question of appropriate guarantees and priorities for the Export Credit Guarantees Department cover which the Prime Minister recently announced that we would be making available to Russia.
Nuclear energy
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the annual United Kingdom contribution since 1979 to (a) the International Atomic Energy Agency, (b) the nuclear energy agency of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
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Development, (c) the European Atomic Energy Community and (d) the joint research centres of the European Community's nuclear research programme, respectively ; and if he will make a statement on the benefits that have accrued from these respective contributions.Mr. Eggar : Details of the United Kingdom's contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency and the nuclear energy agency of the OECD are published annually in the supply estimates, currently at class V, vote 2, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. For contributions prior to 1987-88 reference should be made to written answer of 16 May 1988 at column 300 .
The Community budget is published annually in the Official Journal of the European Communities, also held in the Library of the House. The United Kingdom's contributions to the European Atomic Energy Community and to the nuclear programmes of the joint research centres of the European Communities form part of the single United Kingdom contribution to the European community's budget made under article 207 of the treaty of Rome. National contributions to individual programmes are not identified separately.
These contributions have been obligatory since the United Kingdom's accession to the respective organisations. Over the years there have been many benefits from them, not least the worldwide effort in the field of non -proliferation and nuclear safeguards, and work on radiation protection and public health.
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the annual United Kingdom contribution to the European fusion nuclear energy research programme since its inception ; and what contribution Her Majesty's Government intend to make to future fusion programmes including (a) the Joint European TORUS and (b) the next European TORUS.
Mr. Eggar : 80 per cent. of funding for the joint European TORUS-- JET--project is provided by the European Atomic Energy Community--Euratom-- through the Community budget. Member states contribute to the Community budget as a whole, not individual elements. The United Kingdom's gross contribution before abatement is around 16 per cent. of the total. Information on the Community's annual expenditure on fusion research, including its contribution to JET, is
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contained in chapter B6-55 of the "General Budget of the European Communities', published in the Official Journal of the European Communities--OJ L 26 of 3-2-92--a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.A further 10 per cent. of the funding is shared out between the members of the JET joint undertaking, including the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, whose share of this component is around 1 per cent. of the total. In addition, the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority meets the remaining 10 per cent. of the funding, in recognition of the United Kingdom's status as host nation. In 1991-92 the United Kingdom's total contribution in respect of these two elements was around £8 million.
The United Kingdom contributes directly to the Euratom fusion programme via the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority's "Contract of Association" with Euratom. This amalgamates the fusion R and D programme undertaken at Culham laboratory with the wider programme undertaken by Euratom fusion research laboratories as a whole. The annual cost of this work is also around £8 million.
Decisions on future funding of the Community's fusion programme, and hence on the funding of JET and the next European TORUS, are a matter for the Council of Ministers.
Mr. Llewellyn Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a table of annual investment made in each year since 1979 by his Department and the Department of Energy in (a) nuclear reactor research, (b) nuclear waste research, (c) nuclear decommissioning research, (d) nuclear fuel research, (e) radiation protection research, (f) gas gathering and distribution research, (g) gas fired power plant research, (h) clean coal burn research, (i) renewable energy research and (j) energy efficiency and conservation research.
Mr. Eggar : The information requested is given in the table, to the extent that it is readily available within the DTI. Prior to 1986, nuclear programmes were funded by a block grant to the Atomic Energy Authority, which was responsible for their detailed content ; a breakdown along the lines requested is thus not available in the Department. Energy efficiency and conservation R and D is now a matter for my right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment.
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Year |Nuclear Reactor |Nuclear Waste |Nuclear |Radiation Protection|Clean Coal Burn |Renewable Energy
|Research |Research |Decommissioning |Research |Research |Research
|Research
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1979-80 |- |- |- |- |1.8 |8.2
1980-81 |- |- |- |- |2.7 |11.3
1981-82 |- |- |- |- |4.9 |15.3
1982-83 |- |- |- |- |3.4 |12.7
1983-84 |- |- |- |- |3.4 |11.9
1984-85 |- |- |- |- |0.9 |14.9
1985-86 |- |- |- |- |0.8 |13.6
1986-87 |114.6 |- |- |- |1.9 |12.5
1987-88 |93.1 |3.3 |- |0.3 |1.4 |16.1
1988-89 |130.5 |2.8 |- |0.6 |0.9 |16.3
1989-90 |119.3 |4.7 |- |0.6 |1.7 |17.9
1990-91 |85.0 |- |5.8 |0.6 |11.4 |20.8
1991-92 |60.3 |- |7.2 |0.5 |4.7 |24.6
All figures are in £M in money terms.
Nuclear fuel research is not separately identified.
Nuclear Waste Management programme is subsumed within decommissioning research after 1990.
There was no expenditure on gas gathering and distribution research or on gas fired power plant research during the period.
1981-82 to 1988-89 non-nuclear figures are taken from the "Annual Review of Government-funded R & D", and relate essentially to Frascati R 2 D, without including
technology transfer and dissemination expenditure.
Figures from 1989-90 to date are final outturn, and do include technology transfer and dissemination expenditure.
Trentham Colliery
Ms. Walley : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will give details of all existing and proposed development plans at other collieries which it is intended will be classified under expenditure at Trentham colliery.
Mr. Eggar : The issues which the hon. Member raises are matters for British Coal.
Ms. Walley : To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) pursuant to his answer of 19 October, Official Report , column 221, if he will give details of the profits lost to the Trentham complex arising from the decision made by British Coal to cancel development work from September 1992 ; in respect of which coal faces orders have been given to stop production ; and if he will give details of the subsequent profit loss in each case ;
(2) pursuant to his statement of 19 October, if he will give details of all coal reserves left at Trentham colliery, north Staffordshire ;
(3) pursuant to his statement of 19 October, what was British Coal's estimate of the anticipated tonnage for 1992-93 at the Trentham complex ; and what is his estimate of the effect on this original target of the postponement of committed developments ; (4) pursuant to his statement of 19 October, if he will give details of the development costs of introducing future workings at Trentham colliery including the two major roadway drivages into new seams ;
(5) pursuant to his statement of 19 October, if he will give details for 1990-91 and 1991-92 of capital investment at Trentham colliery designed to incorporate management administration costs incurred as a result of pit closures elsewhere ;
(6) pursuant to his statement of 19 October, if he will give details of the profits earned by Trentham colliery for 1990-91 and the projected loss budgeted for the period 1 April to 20 September in the current year ;
(7) what information he has on British Coal's plans for future developments to introduce pillar and stall work at Trentham colliery.
Mr. Heseltine [holding answer 22 October 1992] : In my statement on 19 October, I said that we had concluded that, for the time being, British Coal should be allowed to proceed with the closure of only 10 pits--including Trentham--which it had told me were currently making a loss and had no prospect of viability in the foreseeable future. The issues which the hon. Member raises are matters for British Coal.
The hon. Member may wish to pursue this issue in the context of the statutory consultation procedure.
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ITER Programme
Mr. Cousins : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the three engineering design teams, and their location, which have been agreed under the future ITER programme ; and if he will list the number of staff, and the total project cost of the JET at Culham, projected for 1992-93, and established for the three preceding years.
Mr. Eggar : The plasma vessel work for ITER--international thermonuclear experimental reactor--will be undertaken by the engineering design team in Garching, in Germany. Other plant engineering work will be undertaken by the team in Naka, in Japan. The design integration team will be based in San Diego, USA. JET--joint European torus--is a Community project. Information on its staffing and funding is available from the annual reports of the JET joint undertaking, which are held in the House of Commons Library.
Euratom
Mrs. Anne Campbell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what progress has been made since 28 November 1991 in implementing European Community Directive 89/618/Euratom in the United Kingdom.
Mr. Michael Forsyth : I have been asked to reply.
Following public consultation by the Health and Safety Commission which ended on 28 February 1992, final proposals for regulations implementing European Community directive 89/618/Euratom were approved by the HSC on 7 July. These proposals were then communicated to the European Commission, as required by article 33 of the Euratom treaty. The European Commission recommendations on these proposals have now been received and arrangements are in hand for making the implementing regulations and laying them before Parliament.
Electricity Costs
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the average cost of electricity delivered to (a) industrial consumers, (b) service sector consumers and (c) domestic consumers in each of the member states of the European Community calculated in (i) ecus, (ii) pounds and (iii) currencies of each respective country.
Mr. Eggar : The average prices of electricity in 1991 to industrial consumers combined, in the member states of the European Community are set out in the tables. Prices of electricity to the domestic and commercial sectors are not available separately. 1991 prices for electricity in Greece, Luxembourg, Netherlands and Spain are not available. All prices in the tables include taxes, where applicable, including VAT to the domestic/commercial market where it is not refundable.
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£ per kwh ECU per kwh National
currencies per kwh
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Industry
Belgium |0.0346 |0.0493 |2.0802 |Francs
Denmark |0.0369 |0.0527 |0.4165 |Crowns
France |0.0306 |0.0435 |0.3036 |Francs
Germany |0.0499 |0.0709 |0.1455 |Deutschmarks
Ireland |0.0374 |0.0533 |0.0409 |Irish pounds
Italy |0.0578 |0.0847 |129.9000 |Lira
Portugal |0.0726 |0.1036 |18.5090 |Escudos
United Kingdom |0.0405 |0.0578 |0.0405 |Pounds
Domestic/commercial sector
Belgium |0.0941 |0.1340 |5.6563 |Francs
Denmark |0.0981 |0.1397 |1.1050 |Crowns
France |0.0805 |0.1147 |0.7999 |Francs
Germany |0.0902 |0.1288 |0.2642 |Deutschmarks
Ireland |0.0748 |0.1068 |0.0820 |Irish pounds
Italy |0.0981 |0.1397 |214.2000 |Lira
Portugal |0.0924 |0.1314 |23.4700 |Escudos
United Kingdom |0.0680 |0.0970 |0.0680 |Pounds
Source: International Energy Agency: Energy Prices and Taxes.
Gas prices
Mr. Llew Smith : To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last discussed gas prices with the director of the Office of Gas Regulation ; and what decisions were taken.
Mr. Eggar : I meet the Director General of Gas Supply from time to time. Decisions on gas tariffs are a matter for him.
Perfume Companies
Mr. Spellar : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will refer to the Director of the Office of Fair Trading the actions of perfume companies in relation to discounting by Superdrug.
Mr. Neil Hamilton : The Director General of Fair Trading is already investigating complaints about restrictions on the distribution of perfumes.
Nuclear Plant
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what would be the saving to the Exchequer of mothballing every nuclear power station.
Mr. Eggar : There would in fact be significant net costs to the Exchequer if Nuclear Electric's stations were closed or mothballed. The substantial loss of revenue from electricity sales and, in the case of closure, the bringing forward of expenditure on decommissioning, reprocessing and waste disposal, together with redundancy costs, would far outweigh any savings in operating costs.
Coal Imports
Mr. Austin Mitchell : To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the addition to the landed cost, in terms of pounds per tonne of transporting imported coal to power stations compared to the cost of transporting British coal.
Mr. Eggar : This is a commercial matter for the companies involved.
Electricity Generation
Mr. Llwyd : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish figures showing the percentage of electricity which is produced from renewable sources in the United Kingdom.
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Mr. Eggar : The electricity produced from renewable sources of energy in the United Kingdom in 1991 was equivalent to 2 per cent. of total electricity generated in that year.
Mr. Spearing : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will, at 1992 or other price datum, give the comparable capital cost and full fuel costs, respectively, for production of one kilowatt hour of electricity from the most efficient power stations now available, using atomic, coal and gas fuel, respectively.
Mr. Flynn : To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish his latest comparative list of the range of costs per kilowatt of generating electricity from (a) coal, (b) nuclear, (c) hydroelectric and (d) gas sources.
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