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Renewables Obligation
Mr. Ernie Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about a third round under the Scottish Renewables Obligation. [19299]
Mr. Wilson: A consultation exercise held earlier this year by my Department showed broad support for the Government's approach to developing renewable energy. I am therefore proposing a third order under the SRO to oblige ScottishPower and Hydro-Electric to secure the availability of more capacity from new renewable sources in Scotland.
The first two orders led to 56 renewables projects with a combined capacity of 189MW securing contracts with ScottishPower and Hydro-Electric, although many of these have not yet been commissioned. I am very keen to see SR03, which will come into force in early 1999, again attracting technically sound yet innovative projects which must be extremely competitive on price, with the downward trend in prices seen under SRO2 being continued in so far as that is possible.
Capacity will be made available to those technologies that are able to demonstrate these qualities. On that basis I am minded that the third order should cover wind, small hydro, waste to energy and biomass projects, and that it should also make limited capacity available to small wind schemes and wave power projects. I hope that community-based projects will take advantage of this opportunity.
The Government is committed to a new and strong drive to promote renewables and a review of renewable energy policy is underway. I intend that the SRO3, which represents the culmination of the current programme in Scotland, should be for around 110-120MW in capacity, i.e. about the same size as SR02.
I am aware of certain concerns about the local environmental impact of particular renewables projects, and for that reason I expect prospective developers to consult interested parties, including local planning authorities, at an early stage. Evidence of having done so will be required as part of the application process. Developers are further reminded that the award of a contract under the SRO in no way implies preferential treatment when it comes to the planning process and planning permission will still have to be sought in the usual way.
My Department will shortly be writing to ScottishPower and Hydro-Electric setting out these proposals in more detail and will also issue detailed guidance to prospective applicants under SR03. Developers who are interested in bidding are invited to register their interest with my Department as soon as possible.
Mr. Godman:
To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will discuss the report of the National Radiological Protection Board Assessment of the Radiological Implications of Dumping in Beaufort's Dyke and Other Coastal Waters from the 1950s with representatives of (a) the Clyde Fishermen's Association and (b) other fishermen's organisations; and if he will make a statement. [18640]
3 Dec 1997 : Column: 220
Mr. Chisholm:
The National Radiological Protection Board report concludes that any doses of radiation from the past dumpings identified would be well within the International Commission on Radiological Protections's recommended limit and that further additional monitoring is not required. However, the Board recommended that advice should be drawn up against the possibility, which it acknowledges is remote, that two anti-static devices dumped off Arran in 1958 might be trawled up and washed ashore. My officials will be in touch with the fishermen's association once that advice has been finalised.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the estimated acreage of contaminated land in England; and what proposals his Department has to encourage the reclamation of contaminated land. [18143]
Angela Eagle:
The Environment Agency has estimated that there may be some 300,000 hectares of land across Britain as a whole which is affected, to some extent, by industrial or natural contamination. However, much of this contamination will be relatively minor. In only a small proportion of cases will there be a need for detailed investigation, assessment or remediation either with respect to current risks to human health and the environment or to facilitate the redevelopment of the land.
A range of policy programmes are already in place to encourage the reclamation of derelict and potentially contaminated land. My Department, together with other public bodies including the Environment Agency and the research councils, funds research and development for site investigation and remediation techniques, as well as publishing technical advice and guidance. Planning policies and guidance seek directly to encourage the recycling of brown-field sites rather than permitting the development of greenfield sites, and also seek to ensure that contamination risks are properly dealt with as particular developments are taken forward. Significant sums of public investment in the regeneration of vacant, derelict and contaminated land are committed each year by the statutory regeneration agencies, such as English Partnerships.
My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment will be announcing shortly proposals for the implementation of legislation providing a statutory regime for the identification and remediation of contaminated land which is not necessarily subject to development proposals, but which is currently causing significant risks to human health or the environment.
Mr. Loughton:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the plans for a Worthing by-pass; and if he will make a statement. [18144]
3 Dec 1997 : Column: 221
Ms Glenda Jackson:
We are currently undertaking a strategic Roads Review. It is intended that the output of the Roads Review should include, firstly, a short-term investment programme; and, secondly, a programme of studies to look at the remaining problems--from which we will develop the medium and longer-term investment programme.
Once the Roads Review has been completed, we expect to be able to set out what future work is needed on plans for the A27 at Worthing.
Mr. Allan:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what were the original projected costs to public funds and what are the latest forecast outturn costs of the Jubilee Line extension. [18221]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
At project commencement in October 1993, the estimated overall cost of the Jubilee Line extension was £2.1 billion at cash outturn prices. This included £1.9 billion ring-fenced cost, funded by Government grant, the rest being costs for associated works, funded by the London Transport core business. A further £100 million in ring-fenced grant was later added to mitigate the rise in costs following the New Austrian Tunnelling Method collapse on the Heathrow Express project in 1994. London Transport now estimate outturn cost at £2.76 billion. Of this total, £2 billion will be directly funded by ring-fenced grant; the remainder will be met from London Transport's core resources (which include substantial Government grant) and from private sector contributions of over £400 million, over £100 million of which have already been received.
Mr. Allan:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what were (a) the projected and (b) the outturn costs to public funds of the South Yorkshire Supertram. [18220]
Ms Glenda Jackson:
The South Yorkshire Supertram scheme was forecast to cost £240.610 million in outturn prices. The final outturn expenditure reported by South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive in March 1997 was £240.609 million.
Mr. Cox:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what long-term measures his Department (a) has in place and (b) proposes to reduce the number of fatal accidents at work; and if he will make a statement. [18574]
Angela Eagle:
The Government share my hon. Friend's concern about the increase in the number of fatal accidents at work in 1996-97. In July, I approved the Health and Safety Commission's Plan of Work for 1997-98. The Plan of Work sets out the actions that the Commission and the Health and Safety Executive have agreed with me should be taken now and in the longer term to reduce fatalities, and more generally to promote health and safety in the workplace.
3 Dec 1997 : Column: 222
Ms Walley:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place in the Library a copy of the report commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive on nuclear site emergency plan extendability; and if he will make a statement. [18367]
Angela Eagle:
Yes. A copy of the report of the review, commissioned by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and undertaken by WS Atkins Science and Technology on the extendibility of local authority plans for responding to nuclear emergencies, will be placed in the Library.
THE REGIONS
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