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Electricity Industry (Competition)
Mrs. Dunwoody: To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussions she has had with the Director General of Offer over the timetable for the introduction of competition in the domestic electricity market. [4396]
Mr. Battle:
I have had discussions with the Director General on many of the strategic issues on the 1998 electricity supply market liberalisation. At my request, he made a report on the current status of the programme of work, and his proposals for future progress to a timely and successful conclusion. PA Consulting, the Overall Programme Managers for the electricity market liberalisation, also produced a report. Both of these reports were published on 29 May. Recently, the Director
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General and I met the Chief Executives of the Public Electricity Suppliers and the Electricity Pool to discuss the practical implementation of the proposals. It was agreed that the Director General's proposals should be accepted as the basis to take the programme forward.
Mr. Bill O'Brien:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what public consultations she has held in respect of the future of the recommended retail price scheme; and if she will make a statement. [4601]
Mr. Griffiths:
My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has held no public consultations in respect of the future of the recommended retail price scheme.
The Government plans, as part of its reform of competition law, to replace the Resale Prices Act 1976 with a tough prohibition approach to deal with anti-competitive agreements, practices and behaviour. There will be a consultation process over the summer before a Competition Bill is introduced in the autumn.
Mr. Page:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects to announce her decision on the National Power application to convert the Pembroke power station to orimulsion. [4592]
Mr. Battle:
My right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade has called for a public inquiry to be held into the application.
Arrangements for the inquiry are currently in hand and the date, time, venue and the statement of matters which she considers relevant to her consideration of the application will be announced in due course.
Mr. Sheerman:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she will next have discussions with the Director General of Oftel regarding the cost of installing ISDN telephone lines; and if she will evaluate the costs of installing lines in the United Kingdom relative to those in Europe. [4733]
Mr. Battle:
The pricing of ISDN is a matter for Oftel. Oftel reviewed ISDN prices in 1996 and as a result BT provided more flexible connection pricing arrangements in October of that year for basic rate ISDN (ISDN 2). Although BT's connection charges are high compared with our European neighbours, recent benchmarking studies have shown that the monthly rental and call charges are both very competitive, which means that the overall annual cost of using ISDN in the UK is one of the most competitive in the world.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what were the volumes of (a) low-level nuclear material, (b) medium-level nuclear material and (c) high-level nuclear material which were (i) imported into and (ii) exported from Great Britain for each year from 1980 to 1996. [4648]
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Mr. Battle
[holding answer 20 June 1997]: Approximately 3,507 tonnes of spent fuel, which is categorised as high-level nuclear material, from overseas is currently held in the UK, after which the majority of the nuclear material will be reprocessed and exported to the country of origin.
The volumes of nuclear material for the whole of the UK cover many thousands of import and export transactions every year, and involve other nuclear materials such as isotopes for hospitals, industry, and academic institutions. The data requested, in respect of all these transactions covering each year from 1980 to 1996, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will list the countries in 1996 (i) from which Britain imported (a) nuclear fuel, (b) spent nuclear fuel and (c) nuclear waste and (ii) to which Britain exported (1) nuclear fuel, (2) spent nuclear fuel and (3) nuclear waste. [4649]
Mr. Battle
[holding answer 20 June 1997]: In 1996, (i) Britain imported (a) nuclear fuel from Germany, France and Belgium (b) spent fuel from Japan, Germany, Switzerland, Netherlands and Australia (c) no nuclear waste and (ii) exported (1) nuclear fuel to Indonesia, Netherlands, France, Germany, Canada, Australia (2) spent nuclear fuel to France, and (3) no nuclear waste.
Mr. Baker:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what the estimated volume is of (a) high-level nuclear material, (b) medium-level nuclear material and (c) low-level nuclear material currently in Great Britain.[4645]
Mr. Battle
[holding answer 20 June 1997]: The volumes of undisposed radioactive waste in stock and predicted to arise in the UK are routinely reported in the UK Radioactive Waste Inventory, published by Nirex Limited, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House. Based on the latest update, provided by Nirex, together in the 1994 Inventory, and assuming uniform rates of future arisings the estimated volumes of waste in stock on 1 April 1997 are:
Mr. Baker:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations the Government have received, since 1 May, from the United States Government concerning the nuclear industry; and what discussions between representatives of the two Governments have taken place on this issue. [4644]
Mr. Battle
[holding answer 20 June 1997]: My Department has received no specific representations from the US Government on nuclear issues since 1 May 1997.
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My officials have had discussions with representatives of the US Government with whom they maintain regular contact on both a bilateral and multilateral basis. These discussions have covered a range of issues of continuing mutual interest, including disposition of surplus US and Russian fissile materials; verification of nuclear materials; management of decommissioning; nuclear transport; the international liability regime; fusion research; and nuclear safety in Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union including preparations for the discussions on these issues at the Summit of the Eight at Denver on 20-22 June.
Mr. Cousins:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will investigate the timing of sales of shares in Dixons. [5109]
Mr. Nigel Griffiths:
It is the Department's longstanding policy not to discuss the affairs of individual companies.
My Department takes seriously its role in the investigation of any misconduct, and is always keen to receive any information which might assist in deciding if enquiries are needed.
If the hon. Member has any information which he feels ought to be brought to my attention, he should do so as soon as possible.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade what discussion she has had with the Director General of Ofgas over the establishment of criteria for effective competition in the domestic gas market; and if she will make a statement. [4394]
Mr. Battle:
The Government consider that the extension of competition on as wide a basis as possible is in the interests of gas consumers. The securing of effective competition is a part of the Director General's statutory duties, and it is for her as an independent regulator to decide how to interpret and achieve that duty.
Mrs. Dunwoody:
To ask the President of the Board of Trade when she expects Ofgas to announce the next phases of gas competition. [4393]
Mr. Battle:
I understand that the Director General of Gas Supply intends to issue proposals for consultation shortly.
Mr. Edwards:
To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement about the future funding of adult education. [3276]
Dr. Howells:
Under the Further and Higher Education Act 1992, statutory responsibility for securing the adequate provision of adult further education is divided between local education authorities--which are responsible for the more informal adult further education courses in their areas--and the Further Education Funding Council--which is responsible for those courses described in the Act under schedule 2 as having national
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significance, such as basic skills course, access courses and those which lead to academic or vocational qualifications.
(i) high-level: 2,000m 3
Calculating the total of all nuclear materials currently in the UK, which would include industry, hospitals and academic institutions, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
(ii) intermediate-level: 74,000m 3
(iii) low-level: 1 8,000m 3
1 Low-level waste is routinely disposed of to Drigg and hence it has been assumed that the vast majority of arisings, between 1994 and 1997, have been disposed of.
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