Previous Section Index Home Page


Nuclear Weapons

Mr. Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the (a) names, (b) dates and (c) locations of joint US/UK nuclear weapon exercises which have been held since 1993. [117093]

Mr. Spellar: The following joint UK/US nuclear weapon accident response exercises have been held since 1993:

DateNameLocation
April 1994Diver MistSuffolk
September 1998Diagonal GlanceSomerset

Food Products (Welfare Standards)

Mr. Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will set out the prescribed welfare standards which govern imported food products supplied to HM forces. [112967]

Dr. Moonie [pursuant to his reply, 6 March 2000, c. 498W]: I regret the answer given was incorrect in referring to an "EC Meat Commission". In the case of meat sourced in EC countries quality standards are based upon the EC Meat Classification Scheme as operated in the UK by the Meat and Livestock Commission and set down in The Meat Buyers Guide.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

Fossil Fuel

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made in (a) preparation for negotiating limits to fossil fuel use internationally and (b) setting limits to fossil fuel use in the United Kingdom of (i) the availability of fossil fuel reserves (1) worldwide and (2) in the United Kingdom and (ii) the cumulative impact of emissions from fossil fuel burning on the rate and extent of climate degradation. [113862]

Mr. Meacher: I know of no negotiations on setting limits to fossil fuel use, either internationally or in the UK. There are negotiations about targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which will inevitably affect

3 Apr 2000 : Column: 306W

countries' use of fossil fuels, which is a major source of carbon dioxide emissions, the main man-made greenhouse gas.

Assessments published by the Department of Trade and Industry indicate that estimates of the UK's remaining proven, probable and possible oil reserves have been broadly unchanged since the 1980s, and estimated gas reserves have increased slightly over the same period, despite large increases in production.

In numerical terms UK reserves of oil and gas are currently estimated to be around 1,750 million tonnes and 1,750 billion cubic metres (about 1,450 million tonnes of oil equivalent), respectively. Work undertaken in 1998 for DTI by International Mining Consultants Ltd. estimates the reserves, resources and mineral potential at UK mines to be about 620 million tonnes of coal (about 370 million tonnes of oil equivalent). This estimate is on a more restricted basis than the oil and gas estimates because it takes no account of coal reserves other than those at mines that were operating at the time of the report. An alternative estimate contained in the BP Amoco Statistical Review of World Energy puts UK coal reserves at 1,500 million tonnes of coal.

According to the BP Amoco Statistical Review of World Energy, world reserves of oil, gas and coal are about 140 billion tonnes, 130 billion tonnes, 650 billion tonnes respectively, all converted to oil equivalent. These refer to quantities estimated with reasonable certainty to be present and recoverable under existing economic and operating conditions; the ultimately recoverable amounts could be much larger.

The UK is likely to start importing gas at some point between 2003 and 2010. Through access to world energy markets, the Government's assessment is that fossil fuel resource availability by itself will not constrain consumption for the foreseeable future and is correspondingly unlikely to be a factor in the international negotiations.

The most recent report from the Met Office's Hadley Centre estimated that, under the 'business as usual' scenario, the global temperature will be 2oC warmer than now by the 2050s. This temperature rise would be delayed by 50 years with stabilisation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at 750 parts per million and by over 100 years with stabilisation at 550 parts per million. About 70 per cent. of the climate change impact will be due to fossil fuel burning between now and 2100.

Waste Incinerators

Mr. Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the locations by region of (a) existing waste incinerators and (b) pending planning applications for waste incinerators. [114150]

Mr. Mullin: The following list shows the location, by Environment Agency Region, of waste incineration processes regulated by the Environment Agency under the Integrated Pollution Control regime in England and Wales. The Environment Agency is responsible for regulating chemical waste, drum and other waste (at a rate

3 Apr 2000 : Column: 307W

of one tonne per hour or more) incineration processes under Part I of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. The majority of small incineration processes under one

3 Apr 2000 : Column: 308W

tonne per hour are regulated by local authorities. Detailed information on the location of these incinerators is not held centrally.

3 Apr 2000 : Column: 307W

Environment Agency RegionTownOperator
AnglianGrimsbyThe BOC Group
AnglianIpswichWhite Rose Environmental Ltd.
AnglianRoystonVetspeed Ltd.
AnglianSouthend-on-SeaDefence Evaluation and Research Agency
MidlandsBirminghamSevern Trent Water Ltd.
MidlandsBirminghamTyseley Waste Disposal Ltd.
MidlandsBuxtonDurga Environmental Ltd.
MidlandsCinderfordEngelhard Sales Ltd.
MidlandsCoventryCoventry and Solihull Waste Disposal Co. Ltd.
MidlandsDudleyMES Environmental Ltd.
MidlandsNottinghamWastenotts (Reclamation) Ltd.
MidlandsNottinghamWRE Services Ltd.
MidlandsRedditchMedical Energy (Worcs) Ltd.
MidlandsSandwellBIP Limited
MidlandsScunthorpeFibrogen Ltd.
MidlandsShrewsburyWRE Services Ltd.
MidlandsStoke-on-TrentMES Environmental Ltd.
MidlandsStourbridgeSevern Trent Water Ltd.
MidlandsWolverhamptonLeigh Environmental Ltd.
MidlandsWolverhamptonMES Environmental Ltd.
North EastBillinghamNorthumbrian Environmental Management Ltd.
North EastBradfordYorkshire Water Services Ltd.
North EastDoncasterAmlon Metal Ltd.
North EastHuddersfieldKirklees Waste Services Ltd.
North EastKnottingleyLaporte Performance Chemicals UK Limited
North EastLeedsYorkshire Environmental Solutions Ltd.
North EastLeedsYorkshire Water Services Ltd.
North EastMiddlesbroughFine Organics
North EastSheffieldSARP (UK) Ltd.
North EastSheffieldSheffield City Council
North EastSheffieldYorkshire Water Services Ltd.
North WestBoltonGM Waste Ltd.
North WestMorecambeBritish Energy Generation Ltd.
North WestPrestonRoyal Ordnance (Weapons and Munitions) Ltd.
North WestRuncornICI Chemicals And Polymers Ltd.
North WestSouth WirralCleanaway Ltd.
North WestSouth WirralShell (UK) Ltd.
North WestUlverstonGlaxo Operations UK Ltd.
North WestWidnesNorth West Water Ltd.
North WestWirralLubrizol Ltd.
South WestBristolBlagden Packaging NV
South WestBristolBristol City Council
South WestCastle CaryBronzeoak Thermal Processing
South WestWeymouthDefence Research Agency
South WestWest WoodlandsWessex Incineration Co. Ltd.
SouthernAshfordWhite Rose Environmental Ltd.
SouthernDartfordWellcome Foundation Ltd.
SouthernFarehamSouthern Water Services Ltd.
SouthernPortsmouthOnyx Hampshire Ltd.
SouthernRomney MarshMagnox Electric Plc
SouthernSittingbournePowergen CHP Ltd.
SouthernSouthamptonShanks Chemical Services Ltd.
ThamesBarkingBlagden Packaging NV
ThamesBarkingThames Water Utilities Ltd.
ThamesBasingstokeOnyx Hampshire Ltd.
ThamesBelvedereRiverside Resource Recovery Ltd.
ThamesHarrowNorthwick Park Hospital
ThamesLondonLondon Waste Ltd.
ThamesLondonSouth East London Combined Heat And Power Ltd.
ThamesLondonThames Water Utilities Ltd.
ThamesSloughS. Grundon (Services) Limited
ThamesSloughS. Grundon (Waste) Ltd.
ThamesThornton HeathMayday Energy Centre Ltd.
ThamesUxbridgeClinical Energy Limited
ThamesStevenageGlaxo Research and Development Ltd.
WalesBridgendDavies Brothers Waste Ltd.
WalesCemaes BayMagnox Electric Plc
WalesDeesideJ. Reid Trading Ltd.
WalesNeathHLC Neath Port Talbot Ltd.
WalesPontypoolShanks Chemical Services Ltd.

3 Apr 2000 : Column: 309W

Information on planning applications for waste incinerators is held by the respective planning authorities and not by the department. However, the Environment Agency has received IPC applications for a new incinerator, or a variation of the existing authorisation at the sites listed. This list also includes sites where the Agency intends to vary the conditions of the existing authorisation.

Environment Agency Region Town Operator
South WestBristolMedipower Services Ltd.
SouthernMaidstoneKent Enviropower Ltd.
SouthernSittingbourneSita Holding UK Ltd.
SouthernSouthamptonOnyx Hampshire Ltd.
SouthernSouthamptonShanks Chemical Services Ltd.
ThamesHarlowMerck Sharp and Dohme Ltd.
ThamesLondonThames Water Utilities Ltd.


Next Section Index Home Page