| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
Renewable Energy
Mr. Dafis: To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will provide increased support for (a) solar energy and (b) other renewable energy technologies. [3018]
Mr. Battle [holding answer 16 June 1997]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke on Trent, North (Ms Walley) on 10 June 1997, Official Report, column 417.
Wind Power
Mr. William Ross: To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many wind power generating farms there are in the United Kingdom; how many machines they contain; and how many of the blades she estimates have been broken in each of the last 10 years. [4049]
Mr. Battle: At 18 June 1997, there were 43 windfarms, each comprising three or more turbines, operating in the UK, totalling 740 turbines in all. My Department does not maintain records of broken wind turbine blades.
Dounreay (Contamination)
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what notification she has received from the Atomic Energy Authority management at Dounreay in respect of their plans to clean up radioactive particles from the beaches close to the plant; and if she will consult the National Radiological Project Board on its recent radiological assessment of beaches near to Dounreay. [3819]
Mr. Battle: The UKAEA has kept my Department fully informed of their plans for dealing with the Dounreay beach particles. The UKAEA is conducting an extensive search to find the source of these particles. Meanwhile it continues to monitor local beaches removing any particles it finds.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), the independent environmental regulator, recently commissioned the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) to undertake a survey of the beach at Sandside
23 Jun 1997 : Column: 388
Bay near Dounreay following discovery of a particle there by UKAEA during routine monitoring. No further particles were detected.
Mr. Flynn:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations she has received concerning the patenting of animals; and if she will make a statement. [3227]
Mr. Battle
[holding answer 17 June 1997]: I am replying because my department has overall responsibility for intellectual property policy. My department has received one representation from Compassion in World Farming concerning a proposal from the European Commission on the patenting of biotechnological inventions. I understand that the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has also received a representation from Compassion in World Farming concerning the patenting of animals.
Mr. Frank Cook:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what factors underlie the allocation of funding by her Department to the promotion of (a) the oil and gas industry and (b) the deployment of solar power in Britain. [4443]
Mr. John Battle:
(a) The DTI sponsors the UK companies which supply goods and services to the oil, gas and petrochemicals industry in the UK and abroad. Funds are directed at actions to increase the technological capability and international competitiveness of these supplier companies and to promote exports.
(b) The DTI sponsors the new and renewable energy industry, which encompasses solar energy. In line with our manifesto commitment to undertake a new and strong drive to develop renewable energy sources, I recently announced a review of policy including considerations of what would be necessary and practicable to achieve 10 per cent. of UK's electricity needs by the year 2010, and how renewables, including solar, can make an effective contribution to meeting requirements for future greenhouse gas reduction commitments. In the meantime, the Government's new and renewable energy programme, currently under way, will continue.
The Government will be considering the balance of activities within the spending plans it inherited to ensure that they reflect the Government's priorities, through the Comprehensive Spending Review, announced by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 11 June 1997.
Mr. Cook:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what assessment she has made of the number of jobs which could result from the development and widespread use of solar power in Britain. [4441]
Mr. Battle:
My Department has not yet made any assessment of this kind. The current estimate of the number of people working directly on photovoltaics in the UK is around 250 and on active solar heating it is 160.
Mr. Cook:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what measures her Department is undertaking to ensure that (a) its own and (b) other suitable Government buildings are fitted with solar photovoltaic panels. [4386]
23 Jun 1997 : Column: 389
Mr. Battle:
Continuing energy savings targets require that departments consider and implement means of reducing energy consumption. The use of photovoltaic cells is one method that departments and their professional advisers consider in seeking to reduce the amount of electricity supplied from the grid to buildings they are responsible for.
At the time of the refurbishment of the DTI Headquarter's Building at 1 Victoria Street and the designing of the Department of Environment's new Headquarter's building Eland House, thorough cost-benefit analyses of the potential for utilising PV were carried out. In the light of those analyses, it was decided that it would not be cost-effective to install PV modules in either building. Cost-benefit analyses typically consider the life cycle costings and total energy consumption for an installation.
Mr. Cook:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade pursuant to her recent speech, (1) what measures her Department is undertaking to promote the use of solar power; [4385]
(3) what measures her Department is undertaking to create a market in Britain for the British solar photovoltaic industry. [4442]
Mr. Battle:
I announced on 6 June, Official Report column 273, a review of Government policy on new and renewable energy including looking at all aspects of its support for solar energy. In the meantime my Department's New and Renewable Energy Programme, which includes work on solar energy, will continue.
Also, in addition to the SCOLAR programme under the Technology Foresight initiative, the Office of Science and Technology funds a programme of basic and applied research into solar energy, including photovoltaics, through the Engineering and Physical Science Research Council.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the Presidents of the Board of Trade when she expects to make a decision on the Monopolies and Mergers Commission inquiry into price controls on Transco. [4392]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
The Director General of Gas Supply published the MMC report on 18 June. Under the provisions of the Gas Act 1986, it is her responsibility to respond to the MMC's conclusions.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to make a decision on the proposed alliance between British Airways and American Airlines. [4387]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
The UK competition authorities are currently considering the proposed alliance between British Airways and American Airlines, in consultation with the European Commission. It is not the practice of my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade
23 Jun 1997 : Column: 390
to comment publicly on the timing or substance of competition cases in which she will be responsible for making a decision.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to receive the report from the Monopolies and Mergers Commission on vertical integration in the travel trade. [4390]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
The Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) report on foreign package holidays is due to be delivered to my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade on 6 November 1997.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to make a decision on the proposed merger between Bass and Carlsberg Tetley. [4389]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
The Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) report on the proposed merger between Bass and Carlsberg-Tetley will be published as quickly as is practicable. I cannot comment on the likely publication date of the MMC report or its contents, since this information is market sensitive. Copies of the report will be laid before Parliament at the same time as it is published.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to make a decision on the inquiry into the alleged price fixing of electrical goods. [4391]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
The Monopolies and Mergers Commission (MMC) report on domestic electrical goods will be published as quickly as is practicable. I cannot comment on the likely publication date of the MMC report or its contents, since this information is market sensitive. Copies of the report will be laid before Parliament at the same time as it is published.
Mr. Bill O'Brien:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will include an assessment of public opinion on the operation of manufacturers' recommended retail prices in her consideration of the Monopolies and Mergers Commission report into the electrical goods industry. [4602]
Mr. Griffiths:
The report remains confidential until publication. I am not able to comment until then.
(2) what measures apart from the Scholar Programme her Department is undertaking to increase the use of solar electric power in (a) homes and (b) offices; [4440]
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |