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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 9 March 2000
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Atomic Energy Research
Mr. Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the budget allocation to atomic energy research made by his Department for each financial year from 1989-90 to 1999-2000; and what is his Department's anticipated expenditure for 2000-01. [113299]
Mrs. Liddell: The budget allocation to Nuclear R&D made by my Department (and by the Department of Energy prior to amalgamation) for each financial year since 1989-90 to 1999-2000, and the anticipated expenditure for 2000-01, is as follows:
| Year | £ million |
|---|---|
| 1989-90 | 163.8 |
| 1990-91 | 126.4 |
| 1991-92 | 93.6 |
| 1992-93 | 85.3 |
| 1993-94 | 76.9 |
| 1994-95 | 28.4 |
| 1995-96 | 21.7 |
| 1996-97 | 21.4 |
| 1997-98 | 17.6 |
| 1998-99 | 14.2 |
| 1999-2000 | 16.8 |
| 2000-01 | 16.8 |
Petrol
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what information he collects on the percentage market share of each of the major suppliers of petroleum fuel to petroleum retailers. [113536]
Mrs. Liddell [holding answer 7 March 2000]: My Department collects and collates data from the individual companies that supply petroleum products into the UK market. However, this information is provided under strict commercial confidentiality constraints, and, as such, data on individual company market shares cannot be published.
Mr. Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what controls exist to prevent petrol suppliers charging petrol retailers for petrol which has evaporated before delivery. [113531]
Mrs. Liddell
[holding answer 7 March 2000]: Evaporative losses occurring between loading petrol from a storage terminal and delivering it to a retail site have been minimised by the use of vapour recovery systems. Under EC Directive 94/63/EC all storage and distribution terminals delivering more than 50,000 tonnes per annum (tpa) of petrol already operate vapour recovery equipment, and all other terminals will have to comply by 2001 or
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2004 (depending on the volume of their deliveries). It is estimated that the implementation of vapour recovery has already reduced vapour losses arising from the transportation and delivery of petrol by 98 per cent. since 1996.
Emergency Towing Vessels
Mr. Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce his decision on the provision of emergency towing vessels (tugs) around the UK. [114330]
Mr. Hill: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is announcing today the extension of the contract for the provision of the Emergency Towing Vessel (Tug) Anglia Monarch, to provide emergency cover for the Fair Isle Channel and the Pentland Firth for a further winter period, commencing from October 2000, and the conclusion of an agreement with the French authorities which will ensure all year round emergency tug cover for the Dover straits. A tug review team is now working to review all emergency towing provision around the UK and is expected to report its findings during summer 2000.
Code of Audit Practice
Mr. Linton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps are being taken to replace the Code of Audit Practice which ceases to have effect on 21 July; and if he will make a statement. [114331]
Ms Armstrong: On 2 March the Audit Commission approved a new Code of Audit Practice which it has submitted to my right hon. Friend who has today laid a copy before the House.
It is now for the House to consider the Code and, if it sees fit, to approve it. If approved, the Code will prescribe the way in which auditors in England and Wales must carry out their audits of local government and NHS bodies, and it will also set out auditors' responsibilities in relation to the audit of local government Best Value Performance Plans.
The Code has been prepared under the Audit Commission Act 1998 and the Local Government Act 1999. The Code sets out the general principles to be followed by auditors, and the audit framework within which auditors will carry out their responsibilities. It also sets out auditors' responsibilities in relation to reviews of the financial aspects of corporate governance; the audit of the accounts; and reviews of aspects performance management.
Angela Smith:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will publish the revised Standards of Modern Zoo Practice. [114356]
Mr. Mullin:
I am pleased to announce that I shall be launching the revised standards at Bristol Zoo today. They will come into effect on 3 April 2000.
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Mr. Norman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which Ministers have responsibility for the new unit to co-ordinate the Government's approach to the regions; and how often the ministerial board of the unit will meet. [113153]
Mr. Prescott:
Lord Falconer, Minister of State at the Cabinet Office, will have day-to-day responsibility for the Regional Co-ordination Unit reporting to me. Matters relating to the new unit that require collective agreement will be considered by an interdepartmental committee of Ministers, which will meet under my chairmanship when business requires.
Mr. Norman:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many civil servants have been assigned to the new unit to co-ordinate the Government's approach to the regions. [113156]
Mr. Prescott:
A team of three civil servants is currently preparing for the setting up of the core of the Regional Co-ordination Unit on 1 April. Staff will be assigned to the new unit as the implementation plan on the Performance and Innovation Unit report "Reaching Out" progresses.
Mr. Gareth R. Thomas:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress in developing a domestic emissions trading scheme. [113054]
Mr. Meacher:
The Government, in their new Draft Climate Change Programme, recognise that carbon emissions trading is a key part of the longer-term solution to greenhouse gas emissions. It will complement other measures in the business sector by offering cost-effective and flexible options for achieving emissions reductions. And an early start to emissions trading in the UK should bring valuable experience and expertise to UK business and to the City of London. This will be particularly important in advance of the international emissions trading scheme envisaged by the Kyoto Protocol, and the European trading scheme put forward in the recent European Commission Green Paper.
The design of a domestic greenhouse gas emissions trading scheme has been taken forward by the business-led UK Emissions Trading Group (ETG), with Government officials working closely alongside. The ETG has made speedy progress in addressing the key issues involved in the design of a domestic emissions trading scheme. Outline proposals for a UK trading scheme were presented to Government in October 1999, and the ETG has recently reported to Government on follow-up work in a number of areas. The group's conclusions have moved the UK significantly along the road to the launch of a domestic trading scheme. But much work on the detail of the scheme remains to be done, and the Government will expect to take this work forward with the Emissions Trading Group.
The Government have also said that firms within climate change levy agreements, who have agreed a target to increase their energy efficiency or reduce their carbon emissions, will be able to use carbon trading as one way of helping them meet their targets. And the Government
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are currently discussing with members of the Emissions Trading Group and climate change levy agreement sectors the most suitable way for these firms to participate in this trading, and in trading with the wider domestic scheme.
Mr. Paul Marsden:
To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each of the last five years for which figures are available (a) the total allocation to Shrewsbury and Atcham from the Rural Bus Fund and (b) the number of (i) additional and (ii) improved bus services supported by these grants; and if he will make a statement. [113484]
Mr. Hill:
The rural bus subsidy grant is allocated at county council level and it is for each county to decide which services to support. In the first year of the grant, 1998-99, Shropshire county council was allocated £630,354. The same amount has also been allocated to the council for 1999-2000 and 2000-01.
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