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Coal
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the percentage was of UK-mined coal burned by individual power stations in Britain in 1999. [109019]
Mrs. Liddell:
In the 12 months to November 1999 major power producers' net purchases of coal amounted to 40.1 million tonnes. Of this, 32.8 million tonnes (82 per cent.) was of UK purchased coal and 7.3 million tonnes (18 per cent.) was of imported coal. The total quantity of coal consumed by major power producers over this 12 month period was 39.2 million tonnes. Data for individual coal-fired power stations are not available.
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Mr. Trickett:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the accessible coal reserves in each of the collieries in Yorkshire; what is their current rate of depletion; and what is his estimate of the life of each colliery at current rates of depletion. [109116]
Mrs. Liddell:
As part of its Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation, the Department of Trade and Industry commissioned International Mining Consultants Limited (IMCL) to provide a report on the prospects for coal production in England, Scotland and Wales in the period to 2020. That report was substantially undertaken in May 1998 and published by The Stationery Office in March 1999. Since that time the world price of coal has fallen and this is likely in general terms to have reduced the levels of economically workable reserves and to have accelerated the date at which economic reserves of some collieries are likely to exhaust.
| Proven (Mt) | Probable (Mt) | |
|---|---|---|
| Ricall(10) | 4.664 | 14.793 |
| Stillingfleet(11) | 2.315 | 20.102 |
| Wistow | 3.085 | 11.173 |
| Kellingley | 3.698 | 11.509 |
| Maltby | 4.086 | 15.222 |
| Prince of Wales | 2.258 | 2.953 |
| Rossington | -- | 12.714 |
| Hatfield | 0.305 | 1.639 |
(10) Ricall/Whitemoor combine
(11) Stillingfleet/North Selby combine
| 1998 output '000t | Projected exhaustion date | |
|---|---|---|
| Ricall(12) | 1,730 | 2009 |
| Stillingfleet(13) | 3,700 | 2009 |
| Wistow | 2,600 | 2009 |
| Kellingley | 1,348 | 2020 |
| Maltby | 1,400 | 2020 |
| Prince of Wales | 1,750 | 2009 |
| Rossington | 825 | 2020 |
| Hatfield | 348 | 2009 |
(12) Ricall/Whitemoor combine
(13) Stillingfleet/North Selby combine
Electricity Interconnector
Mr. Clapham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when negotiations will begin with EDF on a replacement electricity supply contract through the interconnector; if he will seek a reciprocal arrangement; and when the new contract is required to be in place. [109018]
Mrs. Liddell:
The Interconnector Agreement between the National Grid Company and EDF expires on 31 March 2001 and it is a matter for the parties to the Agreement when negotiations on a successor Agreement take place.
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As an essential facility, access to the interconnector should be granted to third parties on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, and any new Agreement will be subject to the normal application of EU competition law.
Mr. Corbyn:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list (a) the total number of contracts and their value relating to arms exports to Pakistan for each of the last five years, (b) the value of ECGD support and (c) what payments were made under the ECGD scheme. [108880]
Mr. Caborn:
ECGD has not supported defence related equipment to Pakistan in any of the last five years.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which EU document promotes the lowering of the monopoly limit on postal services of member states; what measures restrict national choice; and what consultation he has had with postal users in the United Kingdom concerning the policies of Her Majesty's Government in these matters. [108722]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
The Postal Services Directive (97/67/EC) sets the agreement between the European Union member states and the European Commission on common rules for the development of the internal market of community postal services and the improvement of quality of service. The Directive established the principle that postal services may be reserved by member states only to the extent necessary to ensure the maintenance of the universal service. The initial upper limit to the reserved area was set at five times the public tariff for an item for correspondence in the first weight step of first class post provided that it weighs less than 350 grams. The United Kingdom's reserved area is within this limit. The Directive also provided for further steps to be taken towards the completion of the internal market of postal services and tasked the European Commission to come forward with proposals for gradual and controlled liberalisation. It is expected that these proposals will issue shortly.
In the United Kingdom, extensive consultation has taken place, in relation to the reserved area and other postal matters, during the review which led to the White Paper on Post Office Reform which was published in July 1999. A Bill has now been laid in with the intention of consolidating the reforms outlined in the White Paper.
The Government are of the view that greater competition is essential for postal reform. Liberalisation promotes competition and greater choice and keener pricing for consumers. It also encourages greater innovation, productivity and growth of businesses. The Postal Service Commission (which takes up its duties on 1 April 2000) will have a duty to promote the interest of consumers of postal services, having regard to the need for effective competition wherever possible and appropriate.
As set out in the White Paper, the Postal Services Commission will be expected to report on the scope for liberalisation within one year of appointment. We shall be asking the Postal Services Commission to provide its advice on the scope for reductions in the monopoly at the
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earliest opportunity. We shall also be encouraging them to be thorough and to take account of the views of all interested parties.
Mr. Mitchell:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 17 January 2000, Official Report, columns 258-59W, on match funding, (a) what structural funds grants were received in the United Kingdom for (i) 1999 and (ii) preceding years, (b) what was the total of associated matched funding for that sum, and (c) if he will initiate a scheme to record the sources of matched funding for each grant received in 2000. [108966]
Mr. Caborn:
As explained in my previous answer of 17 January 2000, Official Report, columns 258-59W, there are no specific annual allocations to structural funds programmes and grants for individual years therefore cannot be identified. However the total value of grants to the UK's structural funds programmes which ended in 1999 amounted to approximately £5.5 billion.
The previous answer also explained that the level of match funding varied from programme to programme, and depended on the nature of the various projects. That information was not recorded centrally.
It would require disproportionate effort to record and collate the precise source of match funding for each of the many thousands of projects which receive structural funds assistance.
Mr. Robertson:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much (a) kerosene and (b) gas oil was used industrially in the last year for which figures are available. [108711]
Mrs. Liddell:
The latest published data show that during 1998 the amounts of kerosene and gas oil used by industry were 841 and 2,894 thousand tonnes respectively, the latter figure including some eight thousand tonnes of gas oil used by industry for on-site generation of electricity during the year. The figure for gas oil does not include any amount of gas diesel oil used as a fuel for round transport, i.e. DERV fuel. Information on the amount of DERV fuel used by industry is not available. Preliminary figures for 1999 suggest that industrial kerosene use has increased by approximately 15 per cent. while industrial gas oil use has decreased by approximately 10 per cent.
Mr. John D. Taylor:
To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will estimate the total cost of statutory paid parental leave in the United Kingdom set at the level of the minimum wage. [109045]
Mr. Alan Johnson:
It is not possible to provide an estimate based on the information given in the question. The cost of any paid parental leave scheme to the Exchequer and employers will depend upon the assumptions made about take up, the length of leave taken as well as the level of support provided.
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