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Fuel Reduction Technology

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's policy is on providing collaboration funding for development of fuel reduction technology with British companies; and whether it is the policy of her Department to seek tenders from other European companies before awarding such funding. [72318]

Mr. Wilson [holding answer 23 July 2002]: I refer the hon Member to the answer given to him on the 23 July 2002, Official Report, column 964W, by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport.

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National Transmission Service

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average entry charges into the National Transmission Service were from each of the major UK gas terminals over the last year. [72557]

Mr. Wilson: The information for 3 major terminals is as follows:

p/therm	Winter 2001–02	Summer 2002	Gas Year 2001–02
Bacton	0.03	0.02	0.02
St Fergus	1.19	1.30	1.25
Teesside	0.34	0.19	0.26

Source:

Transco

Notes:

(i) Volume-weighted averages of prices achieved in Transco's primary auctions for entry capacity. (ii) Winter is the period from October–March (inclusive). Summer is the period from April–September (inclusive). The Gas Year runs from 1 October to 30 September.

Transco

Mr. Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what statutory obligations apply to Transco. [72560]

Mr. Wilson: Transco is subject to various obligations under a range of legislation. Its main obligations of a sectoral economic nature are imposed under the Gas Act 1986 (as amended). These include obligations under section 9 of that Act: to develop and maintain an efficient and economical pipe-line system for the conveyance of gas; to comply (so far as it is economical to do so) with any reasonable request to connect premises to its system and convey gas to such premises or to connect a pipe-line system operated by another authorised transporter to its system; to facilitate competition in the supply of gas; and to avoid any undue preference or discrimination in the connection of premises or another pipe-line system to its system or in the terms on which it undertakes the conveyance of gas by means of its system.

Renewable Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations her Department has received regarding the price imbalance exposure of (a) CHP and (b) renewable energy generators. [71582]

Mr. Wilson: On 4 April 2002 the Government Response to the Consultation on NETA and Smaller Generators of 1 November 2001 was published (http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/domestic_markets/ electricity_trading/neta_resp.pdf). Chapter 2 of the Response summarised the representations that were received, including from CHP and renewable generators or their industry associations, on a variety of issues. One of the issues in question was the risk of exposure to NETA's imbalance prices.

The DTI has also held a number of meetings with interested companies and their representative organisations. Copies of the responses to the DTI Consultation on NETA and Smaller Generators are available for viewing in the DTI library.

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Wind Farms

Tony Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy to take into account the cumulative effect of large numbers of wind farms in areas of outstanding natural beauty when considering planning applications. [70247]

Mr. Wilson: Planning policy guidance covering Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs) already exists to protect such areas, and the Government has made it clear that AONBs should share the protection given to National Parks in relation to landscape and scenic beauty. PPG7 (for England) was accordingly amended in June 2000 so that for major projects in AONBs, consideration of planning applications should normally include an assessment of the need for the development, in terms of national considerations, and the impact of permitting it or refusing it on the local economy; the cost of and scope for developing elsewhere outside the area or meeting the need for it in some other way; and any detrimental effect on the environment and the landscape, and the extent to which that should be moderated.

Energy Industry

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what proportion UK electricity generating capacity exceeds average peak demand in 2002. [71526]

Mr. Wilson: A UK-wide estimate of the plant margin (i.e., the proportion by which installed generation capacity exceeds peak demand) in 2002 is not currently available.

However, according to table A2.3 in Appendix 2 of "The Development of British Electricity Trading and Transmission Arrangements" (http://www.ofgem.gov.uk/ docs2001/74 BETTA.pdf), which was published by OFGEM during December 2001, it was estimated that the plant margin in Great Britain was 25 per cent. in 2001–02. This was forecast to remain constant at 25 per cent. in 2003–04.

Carbon Emissions

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what she estimates the carbon emissions from coal-fired power plants underwritten by the Export Credit Guarantees Department over the past five years will be over the 10 year operating period; and what she estimates the projected carbon emission savings in the United Kingdom over the same 10 years will be. [72298]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 23 July 2002]: For coal-fired power plants underwritten by ECGD since 1997 it is estimated that upon completion total annual carbon emissions be of the order of 11.1 million tonnes.

The Government published the UK Climate Change Programme in November 2000 outlining a range of additional policies and measures that it is estimated could by 2010 reduce UK carbon emissions by 17.75 million tonnes below our projected baseline. The baseline reflects trends in energy use and the changing fuel mix in the electricity supply industry. It also includes the emission reductions expected from some policies that were

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introduced before the Programme was published, such as the climate change levy, the fuel duty escalator to 1999, and the 10 per cent. renewables target.

The carbon emissions from power plants are calculated using the following assumptions:

Fuel Type	ECGD Estimated Capacity (MW)	CO 2 (Tonnes per year)	Carbon (Tonnes per year)
Coal	11,260	40.6 million	11.1 million

It has been assumed the plants operate for 60 per cent. of the time (5256 hours per year). CO ₂ emissions are calculated using the following conversion factors—Coal: 0.687 tonnes of CO ₂ per MW per hour, Oil 0.417, Gas: 0.309. These are taken from The Greenhouse Gas Protocol website (www.ghgprotocol.org) and are the 1999 average values for power plants in "Economies In Transition". These are the markets where ECGD most commonly provide guarantees.

Carbon emissions are calculated by assuming that carbon makes up 27.3 per cent. of the atomic mass of CO ₂ .

Nickel-Cadmium Batteries

Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the quantity of cadmium recovered from nickel-cadmium batteries stored in the UK; and if she will make a statement about the proposed disposal or reuse of this material. [73647]

Mr. Wilson: Waste nickel-cadmium batteries arising in the UK are primarily recycled in France.

Estimates suggest that this recycling led to the recovery of 21.4 tonnes of cadmium in 1999 and 19.7 tonnes in 2000. The recovered cadmium is suitable for reuse including the manufacture of new nickel-cadmium batteries.

Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment

Mr. Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if it is the Government's intention that manufacturer and retailer responsibility for waste electronic and electrical equipment under the WEE Directive will begin at the central collection point. [73646]

Mr. Wilson: The Directive is still in draft form and is undergoing the conciliation process.

Under the Common Position text, retailers are obliged to take back items of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) from private households when supplying similar replacements. This can be fulfilled in-store, upon delivery of the new item or through a third party arrangement as long as returns are not made more difficult for the consumer.

Producers are responsible for financing costs associated with WEEE at least from deposit at a central collection point. Member States have an option to place costs on producers before this. The Government has not yet decided whether this option will be used in the UK and

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will consult widely on the Directive on a variety of potential implementation approaches, once a final text is available.

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