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Written Answers to Questions
Thursday 8 November 2001
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Refrigerators
Mrs. Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact on small businesses of the requirement to take refrigerators to scrap yards after 1 January 2002. [12689]
Nigel Griffiths: These requirements are a policy matter for my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment. However, officials in the Department have been assisting those in DEFRA to consult small businesses about this issue, and to consider the wider implications for small businesses as the policy is developed.
DEFRA is currently assessing what financial assistance local authorities will require, in keeping with the new burdens procedure.
Conference on Nuclear Terrorism
Mr. Chaytor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representatives her Department had at the International Atomic Energy Agency's conference on nuclear terrorism in Vienna; what recommendations for action by the United Kingdom Government were made at the conference; and what further discussions she intends to have with the IAEA in respect of security at civil nuclear installations. [13230]
Ms Hewitt: Officials from the Office for Civil Nuclear Security and the Export Control and Non-Proliferation Directorate within my Department participated at the International Atomic Energy Agency's symposium on nuclear safeguards, verification and security held in Vienna between 29 October and 2 November. This included a special session on 2 November focused on the issue of combating nuclear terrorism. The special session consisted of preparations on a number of issues around the response to the threat of nuclear terrorism.
The IAEA Secretariat will be presenting a preliminary report to the IAEA's Board of Governors later this month on current and planned activities relevant to protecting against acts of nuclear terrorism, and ideas for new and expanded activities for the agency to undertake. The UK is an active member of the Board of Governors, and will consider carefully the agency's proposed activities.
Departmental Reviews
Brian Cotter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if initial findings submitted to the strategic steering group as part of the Helping the UK get to the Future First and Business Support reviews will be made available to opposition parties. [12520]
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Ms Hewitt: The reviews of my Department's priorities and structure of my Department's support for business are continuing. I propose to make a public announcement about them as soon as their recommendations are ready.
EU Research Council
Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the outcome of the Research Council held in Brussels on 30 October was; what the Government's stance on each issue discussed, including their voting record was; and if she will make a statement. [12018]
Ms Hewitt: The Research Council which was held in Luxembourg on 30 October:
- 1. Held a general debate on Commission proposals for the next EU Research and Development Framework Programme 2002–06, including the proposed new funding instruments, and the next EURATOM Research and Development Framework Programme 2002–06. The Government reiterated their support for a focused programme, aimed at achieving added value through European co-operation, and for improving the efficiency of financial arrangements. The Council agreed to set up an expert working group to examine the future development of research on nuclear fusion.
- 2. Adopted Council conclusions on the possible application of Article 169 concerning the voluntary networking of national programmes.
- 3. Received a presentation from the Commission of its Communication on the regional dimension of the European Research Area.
- 4. Received a presentation by the Commission on a draft European Community action plan on the Global Monitoring of Environmental Security (GMES) satellite initiative. The Government welcomed the emphasis on users' needs in the proposed action plan, but underlined the risks of a potential overlap with the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP).
- 5. Received information from the Commission on the networking of member states' activities in the field of therapeutic AIDS trials.
- 6. Under Other Business, the Council agreed in principle a proposal by the Belgian presidency to set up an expert group of member states' representatives to examine the scope for co-operation in research aimed at countering bio-terrorism.
- 7. No votes were taken at the Council.
Ministerial Meetings
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings Ministers have had with the Institute of Directors in each of the last five years. [10092]
Ms Hewitt: Since 2 May 1997 DTI Ministers have had formal meetings with representatives from the Institute of Directors on the following number of occasions:
| Year | Number of occasions |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 5 |
| 1998 | 4 |
| 1999 | 4 |
| 2000 | 7 |
| 2001 | 3 |
In addition, in the normal course of Government business DTI Ministers will have had more informal contact with representatives from the Institute of Directors on other occasions.
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Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings Ministers have held with the Institute of Management in each of the last five years. [10093]
Ms Hewitt: Since 2 May 1997 DTI Ministers have had formal meetings with representatives from the Institute of Management on the following occasions.
| Year | Number of occasions |
|---|---|
| 2000 | 3 |
| 2001 | 1 |
In addition, in the normal course of Government business DTI Ministers will have had more informal contact with representatives from the Institute of Management on other occasions.
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Objective 1 Regions
Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is in relation to the provision of (a) operating aid, (b) employment aid and (c) investment aid in the Objective 1 regions under Article 87(3)a of the EC Treaty; and what representations she has received on this issue. [12398]
Ms Hewitt: Our policy is to support aid which addresses market failure and which speeds economic reform but which does not distort competition. I have received no recent representations about aid in Objective 1 regions.
Fossil Fuel
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the installed capacity of fossil fuel generation for each fossil fuel type in the UK in each year since 1990. [13290]
Ms Hewitt: The available information is as follows:
| End month | Coal fired | Oil fired | Mixed or dual fired(3) | Gas fired (CCGT)(4) | Gas turbines and oil engines |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| March 1990 | 34,583 | 12,847 | 5,434 | — | 3,356 |
| March 1991 | 34,298 | 11,895 | 5,172 | — | 3,130 |
| March 1992 | 32,686 | 10,817 | 4,806 | 229 | 2,968 |
| March 1993 | 30,523 | 8,556 | 5,781 | 1,129 | 2,539 |
| March 1994 | 29,132 | 6.317 | 5,694 | 5,463 | 2,248 |
| March 1995 | 27,774 | 5,145 | 5,534 | 8,364 | 1,895 |
| March 1996 | 27,494 | 5,214 | 5,534 | 9,034 | 1,890 |
| December 1996(5) | 25,976 | 3,989 | 8,445 | 12,052 | 1,721 |
| December 1997 | 25,976 | 4,069 | 7,530 | 12,252 | 1,526 |
| December 1998 | 25,324 | 2,829 | 6,928 | 14,638 | 1,492 |
| December 1999 | 25,581 | 2,829 | 7,017 | 16,110 | 1,333 |
| December 2000 | 24,835 | 3,514 | 6,872 | 19,349 | 1,243 |
(1) Companies whose prime purpose is the generation of electricity. The total fossil fuel capacity of other generators was 3,284 MW in March 1990 rising to 5,358 MW in December 2000.
(2) Declared net capability.
(3) Mixed or dual fired covers stations that can be fuelled by more than one fuel either as alternatives or simultaneously. So as not to disclose information provided in confidence about individual stations, this category also includes gas fired stations that are not combined cycle gas turbine stations.
(4) Combined cycle gas turbine stations.
(5) In 1996 a change was made to measure capacity at the end of the calendar year rather than at the end of March.
Source:
Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2001 Table 5.7 and the corresponding tables for earlier years.
Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the total amount of electricity generated from fossil fuel sources (a) in total and (b) for each fossil fuel type, in the UK in each year since 1990. [13288]
Ms Hewitt: The available information is as follows:
| Electricity supplied from coal | Electricity supplied from oil | Electricity supplied from gas | Total electricity supplied from fossil fuels | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990(6) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 246,114 |
| 1991(6) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 245,368 |
| 1992(6) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 236,034 |
| 1993 | 170,276 | 20,038 | 32,930 | 223,244 |
| 1994 | 161,739 | 14,075 | 49,526 | 225,340 |
| 1995 | 157,240 | 12,480 | 63,323 | 233,043 |
| 1996 | 146,856 | 13,677 | 82,959 | 243,492 |
| 1997 | 119,627 | 7,854 | 109,515 | 236,996 |
| 1998 | 122,953 | 6,360 | 117,858 | 247,171 |
| 1999 | 106,112 | 5,685 | 143,052 | 254,849 |
| 2000 | 119,960 | 5,597 | 146,807 | 272,364 |
(6) Before 1993 electricity supplied statistics were disaggregated by type of station rather than type of fuel so only the total for fossil fuels is available.
Source:
Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2001 Table 5.6 and corresponding tables for earlier years.
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