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BCCI SA
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total retained interest earned on the moneys held by the ISA since 5 July 2001 is. [55009]
Miss Melanie Johnson: Figures for part months could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
Mr. Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what the total fees levied by the ISA were in the English liquidation of BCCI SA from 5 July 1991 to date; [55007]
- (2) what moneys are held on deposit with the ISA in relation to BCCI SA; [55011]
(3) what (a) the total amount of interest paid to the liquidation estate by the ISA on moneys held and (b) the various rates of interest paid during the liquidation of BCCI SA were. [55008]
Miss Melanie Johnson: These are matters for the liquidators.
23 May 2002 : Column 482W
Telecommunications Report
Brian White: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she has yet received a report by the Director General of Telecommunications for 2000, as required under section 55 of the Telecommunications Act 1984. [59805]
Ms Hewitt: Yes. The eighteenth report by the Director General of Telecommunications is being published today. It covers the period 1 January to 31 December 2001. This includes initiatives to develop the structures for the new communications regulator Ofcom and other initiatives to promote the interests of consumers and a competitive telecoms market. Copies of the report have been laid before the House of Parliament.
Press Releases
Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many press releases were issued by her Department in each month between May and December 1997. [59492]
Ms Hewitt: The number of DTI press releases issued each month were:
| Month | Number |
|---|---|
| May | 35 |
| June | 63 |
| July | 75 |
| August | 38 |
| September | 53 |
| October | 66 |
| November | 78 |
| December | 72 |
These monthly statistics include number of statutory announcements (merger clearances, power station consents and company winding up petitions) that the Department is required to issue when individual decisions are made.
Cefn Croes Windfarm
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will take her decision on the application to build a windfarm at Cefn Croes, Ceredigion. [59159]
Mr. Wilson: I have today decided to grant consent under section 36 and section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 to Renewable Development Company's applications to build a 58.5 MW windfarm and associated overhead electric line at Cefn Croes, Ceredigion.
My decisions were only taken after extensive and thorough consideration of the representations received both for and against consent being granted.
The Secretary of State has not used her discretionary power to call a public inquiry because all parties have already taken the opportunity to inform her of their concerns. I am confident that Ministers have all the necessary information on which to take the decisions on the applications.
23 May 2002 : Column 483W
The decisions also took into account the fact that the local planning authority, Ceredigion county council did not object to the applications subject to conditions being attached to the planning permissions and the company entering into an obligation to pay the costs of a land management scheme and decommissioning.
Copies of the press notice and decision letters are being placed in the Library of the House.
Edmonton Power Station
Mr. Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will announce her decision on London Waste Ltd.'s application to extend the Edmonton energy-from-waste power station. [59158]
Mr. Wilson: I have today decided that consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to London Waste Ltd.'s application cannot be given. The extension would have an annual throughput of waste of around 285,000 tonnes over and above the existing station's capacity of 550,000 tonnes per annum.
In deciding not to grant consent I have taken into account the hierarchy for the treatment of waste set out in the Government's Waste Strategy 2000. Our policy is that waste should be minimised and recycling and composting undertaken before energy from waste is considered. I have considered all the information placed before me, both for and against the extension, and have concluded that the existing station is large enough to deal with the North London Waste Authority's (NLWA) residual waste after recycling. To grant consent for the extension would result in a station with an overall capacity capable of handling all of NLWA's municipal waste and could mean that the NLWA had little incentive to do more recycling over and above the minimum required by statute. Also should the NLWA meet or better its recycling targets then this would lead to a shortfall in the waste stream for the extended station and could lead to waste being imported from other areas which would be contrary to the Proximity Principal whereby waste should be treated as near to its origin as possible.
I have also considered the measures the applicant has undertaken to incorporate at the Edmonton site to encourage recycling, composting and using heat for local district heating schemes. While these measures are to be welcomed I am aware that previous ones of a similar type in the site have been closed or not utilised. I am of the opinion they are not sufficient to justify granting consent to the extension. Indeed should such measures prove successful then there would appear to me to be less justification for the need for the extension.
In refusing consent I should make it clear that the Government are not against energy-from-waste stations where they are clearly required and properly sized. The requirement of our policy is that statutory recycling targets must be met and that no incineration proposal shall be permitted which will pre-empt recycling or reduce the option for recycling for the future.
Copies of the Press Notice and decision letters are being placed in the Library of the House.
23 May 2002 : Column 484W
Carlton House Terrace
Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what organisations are located in Carlton House Terrace and have the rent paid by the Government. [55987]
Mr. Andrew Smith: I have been asked to reply.
There are no organisations in Carlton House Terrace that have rent paid by the Government.
Websites
Mr. Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what the budget is for the website www.ukonline.gov.uk in respect of (a) site development and maintenance, (b) marketing, (c) other and (d) in total for the financial year (i) 2002–03 and (ii) 2003–04; [51518]
- (2) how much has been spent on the website www.ukonline.gov.uk for (a) design and build prior to launch, (b) development and maintenance since launch, (c) marketing, (d) other and (e) the project in total in each of the financial years and accumulatively to date since the inception of the project. [51515]
Mr. Leslie: I have been asked to reply.
ukonline.gov.uk supports the Government's aim to enable the citizen to interact electronically with government by 2005. ukonline.gov.uk will be a key driver in transforming the way in which public services are organised and delivered, and in leading the way to better integration of government services and in putting all relevant government information and services online.
The system was originally launched as a pilot in February 2001 and re-launched in January 2002. The redesign followed extensive research and reflected best practice both within government and the private sector. The views of users were also an important consideration within the development process.
The figures below reflect the amount spent in the financial year ending 31 March 1902. Since ukonline.gov.uk relaunched in January 2002, these figures are representative of both pre and post launch.
(a) and (b) (combined for reasons above) £3,195,619
(c) £633,711 has been spent on marketing since the launch of ukonline in February 2001
(d) Usability/accessibility audit £2,320
(e) Year ending 31 March 2001—£8,055,781
Year ending 31 March 2002—£8,894,981
The budget for site development and maintenance for 2002–3 is £8,358,000. the figure for 2003–04 is not available as Cabinet Office is still finalising its budget.
In the period since the site was re-launched usage has increased by 200 per cent. The site has also been subjected to external benchmarking and was recently assessed by the Bertelsmann Foundation as the best government website in Europe.
23 May 2002 : Column 485W
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Rio Earth Summit (Implementation)
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps have been taken by the Government since the Rio Earth Summit in 1992 to (a) set goals on environmental protection and (b) improve eco-efficiency and resource productivity relating to energy issues; and what these (i) goals and (ii) improvements have been. [44341]
Mr. Meacher: The UK is one of the few OECD countries to have met, and gone beyond, the target agreed at the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 to return its emissions of greenhouse gases to 1990 levels by 2000. It is estimated that UK emissions were more than 13 per cent. below 1990 levels in 2000.
The UK published its climate change programme in November 2000. This sets out how the UK will deliver its Kyoto target to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 12.5 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2008–12, and move towards its domestic goal to cut CO 2 emissions by 20 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010.
The programme contains a substantial, integrated package of policies and measures. It will improve business use of energy, stimulate new, more efficient sources of power generation, including renewables, cut emissions from the transport sector, promote better energy efficiency in the residential sector, and ensure that the public sector takes a leading role.
Following publication of the PIU Energy Review 14 February 2002, the Government plan to publish a White Paper later this year which, with full consultation, will consider the future of Government policy on sustainable energy.
The Government have introduced a wide range of measures, including market incentives, financial assistance, legal obligations, and guidance and information, to promote energy efficiency in all sectors of the economy. These include:
- the energy efficiency commitment (EEC) on domestic energy supplies, from 2002 to 2005;
the climate change levy and climate change agreements;
the UK emissions trading scheme;
revised building regulations which require high energy efficiency standards;
the market transformation programme;
a wide range of measures to support combined heat and power (CHP);
substantial Government funding of the Energy Saving Trust and the Carbon Trust to promote and support energy efficiency in the domestic, public, industry and business sectors.
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