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Renewable Energy

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the total installed capacity of renewable energy generation in the UK in each year since 1990. [13292]

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Ms Hewitt: The available information is as follows:

MW

End December	Capacity of renewable energy generation in the UK in DNC(7) terms
1990	1,234.8
1991	1,572.7
1992	1,644.5
1993	1,743.0
1994	1,795.3
1995	1,831.1
1996	1,962.0
1997	2,008.1
1998	2,171.3
1999	2,273.4
2000	2,439.7

⁽⁷⁾ Declared net capacity

Source:

Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2001 Table 7.4 and corresponding tables for earlier years.

Mr. Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what has been the proportion of electricity generated from (a) renewable and (b) UK-based renewable sources since 1990 (i) in total and (ii) compared with each fossil fuel type; [13286]

(2) what was the (a) total amount of electricity generated from renewable sources in the UK in each year since 1990 and (b) proportion of all electricity generated from (i) renewable sources and (ii) UK-based renewable sources in each year since 1990. [13291]

Ms Hewitt: The available information is as follows. Nuclear sources account for the proportion of generation that was neither from renewables nor fossil fuels. On b(i), the fuel source of imported electricity is not recorded separately in DTI statistics. It is assumed that electricity imported from France in these years was from non-fossil sources:

Year	Electricity generated from renewable sources in the UK (GWh)	Proportion of total electricity generated in the UK that was from: Renewable sources (percentage)Fossil fuel sources (percentage)
1990	5,894	1.8	77
1991	5,409	1.7	76
1992	6,502	2.1	74
1993	5,883	1.8	69
1994	7,307	2.2	69
1995	7,283	2.2	70
1996	6,101	1.8	68
1997	7,428	2.1	68
1998	9,231	2.5	68
1999	10,199	2.8	69
2000	10,476	2.8	73

Source:

Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2001 Tables 5.6 and 7.44 and the corresponding tables for earlier years

Postal Service

Mr. Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures she proposes to improve the postal service; and if she will make a statement. [12591]

Mr. Alexander: Under our reform package for postal services, which was fully implemented on 26 March this year, Consignia has greater commercial freedom to compete more efficiently and effectively. There is now

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a new independent regulator, the Postal Services Commission, whose primary responsibility is to maintain the provision of a universal postal service at a uniform tariff. The commission has set tough standards of service for Consignia and is monitoring them closely. In addition, the commission can and has licensed other companies to compete with Consignia which will benefit consumers through more choice and better quality services. The commission recently completed a comprehensive consultation exercise on the introduction of competition and is expected to come forward with a report and recommendations shortly.

The Consumer Council for Postal Services, known as Postwatch, replaced the Post Office Users National Council, and will investigate consumer complaints if these have not been satisfactorily resolved with Consignia. Postwatch has wider powers and duties than POUNC and works closely with Postcomm to monitor the quality of postal services in the UK.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Kosovo

Mr. Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the bodies found in the mass grave at Dragodan, Pristina have been identified, broken down by (a) ethnic background and (b) sex. [10450]

Mr. MacShane: The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has exhumed 210 bodies from individual graves at the cemetery in Dragodan, Pristina. Of the bodies exhumed, 36 were females and 139 were male. The gender of 35 bodies could not be identified.

According to the Missing Persons Unit of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), 52 of the 210 bodies have been identified to date. Five bodies were Kosovo Serbs (four male and one female). Forty-seven bodies were Kosovo Albanians (40 male and seven female).

High Commission and Embassy Offices

Mr. Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost was of running (a) British high commission offices and (b) British embassy offices in each of the last three years. [12083]

Mr. MacShane: The total costs of running British high commissions and embassies for the years in question are as follows:

£ million

	(a) British high commissions	(b) British embassies
1998–99	148.35	510.99
1999–2000	113.50	442.74
2000–01	127.01	479.40

The apparent fall in costs between the first and second years is due to the switch from cash accounting to resource accounting.

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Gibraltar

Mr. Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the consequences of a failure of the Government of Gibraltar to participate in the Brussels process. [12017]

Peter Hain: When the Foreign Secretary met the Spanish Foreign Minister on 26 July for talks under the Brussels process, they confirmed that Gibraltarian engagement would be an important element in carrying the process forward and that they would welcome the attendance of the Chief Minister of Gibraltar at future ministerial meetings. This remains the case and both we and the Government of Spain very much hope that the Chief Minister of Gibraltar will participate at the ministerial meeting due to be held in Barcelona on 20 November.

The Government believe that through the dialogue in the recently resumed Brussels process, we shall build a better future for the people of Gibraltar, including normalising relations with Spain, and that all should welcome this. I refer the hon. Member to my speech to Westminster Hall on 7 November 2001, Official Report, columns 88–92WH.

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he (a) last met and (b) next plans to meet representatives of the Spanish Government to discuss the future of Gibraltar. [12383]

Peter Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle) on 6 November 2001, Official Report, column 121W.

Mr. Martyn Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the future of Gibraltar. [12381]

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his Department's briefing of 30 October on the future of Gibraltar. [12961]

Peter Hain: I refer my hon. Friends to my statement in Westminster Hall on 7 November 2001, Official Report, columns 88–92WH.

Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his policy relating to the sovereignty of Gibraltar. [12831]

Peter Hain: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Rosindell) on 30 October 2001, Official Report, columns 737–39, and to the speech I made in Westminster Hall on 7 November 2001, Official Report, columns 88–92WH.

South and Central America

Mr. Austin Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements were made for discussions with representatives of (a) Government, (b) industrial, (c) commercial and (d) other organisations during his visit to south and central America. [12880]

Mr. MacShane: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has not yet visited south or central America since taking office. My

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right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, together with a delegation of business leaders, visited Brazil, Argentina and Mexico in July-August.

Plan for Africa

Linda Gilroy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what contribution his Department has made to the Plan for Africa. [11349]

Mr. Bradshaw: The New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD—formerly known as the New African Initiative) will require a broad international response, ranging form support to some of NEPAD's programmatic elements to action in the EU, OECD, UN and other international forums. No specific financial commitments have yet been met.

The Prime Minister has appointed Baroness Amos as his personal representative in developing a G8 Action Plan for Africa to be adopted at the at the 2002 G8 Summit in Canada. The first meeting of G8 Heads of State personal representatives was held in London 17 to 19 October. They agreed to consult widely with other development partners, with the private sector, civil society and international organisations. They have further meetings planned which will include dialogue with African partners. The elements in the Action Plan will be evolved in the context of these meetings.

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