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5 Jun 2003 : Column 532W—continued
Energy Crops
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to increase the amount of energy crops being grown for use by electricity generators. [116265]
Ms Hewitt: The Government are committed to the development of all forms of bio-energy, including energy crops. While no targets have been set for either the planting of energy crops or for the contribution of individual renewable energy sources, such as energy crops, the Government hope to increase the amount of energy crops grown for electricity generation through a number of schemes designed to create sustainable markets for energy crops.
My Department provides support ranging from research and development to the creation of a market for energy generation from energy crops through the Renewables Obligation and the Bio-energy Capital Grants Scheme.
DEFRA's Energy Crops Scheme helps farmers and foresters to establish energy crops and a further £3.5million is being made available by DEFRA to develop supply chains.
Energy Sources
Gregory Barker To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what Government assistance is available for the development of market-based production of energy using renewable sources. [116251]
Mr. Wilson: The Government has introduced a number of market-based initiatives to assist renewable energy sources:
- The Renewables Obligation, which places an obligation on licensed electricity suppliers to source a percentage of supplies from renewable sources, to reach 10 per cent. by 2010;
Exemption, for businesses and organisations, from the Climate Change Levy for electricity generated by new renewable technologies;
£348 million of capital grants and support for research, development and demonstration programmes to enable emerging technologies gain a foothold in the marketplace.
Environmental Impact Assessments
Dr. Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 16 May 2003, Official Report, column 462W, on environmental impact assessments, if she will list (a) the support schemes and (b) the criteria to which she referred for assessing the environmental impact of businesses to whom grants are awarded. [116261]
Ms Hewitt: The DTI is involved in 14 schemes which deal with energy efficiency and the environment. Three of these schemes include a grant element and are
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designed specifically to have a positive effect on the environment by assisting individual businesses. The schemes are:
- 1. Biowise. Link to assessment criteria: www.biowise.org.uk
- 2. New and Renewable Energy programme. Link to assessment criteria: www.dti.gov.uk/energy/renewables/support/research
- 3. Solar Power Grants. Link to assessment criteria: www.est.co.uk/solar
Environmental Research and Development
Mr. Bill O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was given in grants by the Department for research and development relating to (a) the environment and (b) waste in the years 1998 to 2002; and what the projected allocation is for (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2005. [115773]
Mr. Wilson: My Department has provided the following funding for research and development relating to waste and the environment (it is not possible to distinguish between the two classifications):
| £ | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 490,000 |
| 1999–2000 | 547,000 |
| 2000–01 | 738,000 |
| 2001–02 | 1,158,000 |
| 2002–03 | 2,356,000 |
| 2003–04 | (projected) 3,186,000 |
It is not possible to provide the likely final outturn beyond this. However we have already committed £1,792,000 for 2004–05, but this figure may increase.
These figures do not include funding for environmental research and development which the Office of Science and Technology provides through the Research Councils. NERC (Natural Environment Research Council) is the primary fund provider and has supplied the following figures for the funding of research and development.
| £ million | |
|---|---|
| 1998–99 | 160 |
| 1999–2000 | 159 |
| 2000–01 | 169 |
| 2001–02 | 166 |
| 2002–03 | 195 |
| 2003–04 | (forecast) 287 |
| 2004–05 | (forecast) 303 |
In addition DTI is also providing £10.65 million funding between 2001–2004 to WRAP, the Waste and Resources Action Programme, a not for profit company funded by Government. £8.45 million was allocated for open call research and development programmes between 2001–2003 and a further £1.66 million spent on other research and market studies during the same period. Future WRAP research and development expenditure has not yet been agreed.
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Export Credits Guarantee Department
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 12 May 2003, Official Report, column 16W, on the renewable energy initiative of the ECGD, when she expects a decision to be reached on the three applications outstanding. [117085]
Mr. Wilson [holding answer 3 June 2003]: For all three of the applications ECGD is waiting for the exporters to resolve contractual or financial issues with the respective buyers. These issues are outside ECGD's control and it is not currently possible to say when or indeed if any guarantees will eventually be issued.
General Agreement on Trade in Services
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the latest (a) discussions held and (b) agreements reached concerning the General Agreement on Trade in Services. [115538]
Ms Hewitt: The current negotiations under the General Agreement on Trade in Services—part of the World Trade Organisation's Doha Development Agenda of multilateral trade negotiations—are due to be concluded by 1 January 2005. Negotiations have recently begun to focus on requests and offers. Around 25 offers have so far been tabled by WTO Members. The offer by the European Community and Member States was tabled on 29 April.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on the import of products that would be illegal if they had been produced in the United Kingdom; what records are kept of such products; and what assessment she has made of the risk to consumers from such products. [116714]
Ms Hewitt: Consumer protection legislation, which is enforced by local authority trading standards officers, makes it an offence to supply unsafe consumer products to the UK market. The legislation applies equally to products manufactured in the UK and imported products. Enforcement statistics do not distinguish action taken against imported products. Under European Council Regulation 339/93—relating to goods imported from non-Community countries—customs officers have powers to detain goods for up to three working days to permit checks by trading standards officers when there is reason to believe that goods may be unsafe. More generally in formulating policy towards imports of goods the United Kingdom must have due regard to its European Community and international trade obligations.
Information Technology
Mr. Flight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her Department's (a) total managed expenditure, (b) total spending on Information Technology and (c) spending on Information Technology as a proportion of its total managed expenditure was in each financial year since 1997–98. [107186]
5 Jun 2003 : Column 535W
Ms Hewitt: The contribution by Department of Trade and Industry to Total Managed Expenditure can be measured by the total of spending under resource and capital budgets, less non-cash items in AME. Data for 1998–99 to 2001–02 were published in the 2003 Departmental Report (Cm 5916).
Due to the devolved nature of the Department's budgets, complete information of total spending for all budgets on Information Technology (IT) is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, spending by the Department of Trade and Industry from its centrally gross controlled Administration Costs Budgets on IT was £12.1 million in 1998–99, £10.4 million in 1999–2000, £14.9 million in 2000–01, £18 million in 2001–02 and £21.2 million in 2002–03.
Iraq
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on recent discussions she has held with (a) the UN, (b) the EU and (c) the United States Government on the reconstruction of Iraq. [116269]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 3 June 2003]: I have had no recent discussions with either the UN or the EU on the reconstruction of Iraq.
As I informed the hon. Member on 1 April 2003, Official Report, column 624W I have discussed post-conflict issues with Andrew Natsios of US AID.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many requests for assistance with tendering for business in Iraq her Department has received from UK companies. [116270]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 3 June 2003]: British Trade International has received hundreds of requests for advice from UK companies on how they might pursue contract opportunities in Iraq. We have almost 1,000 companies registered on our Iraq database.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of her Department's contribution to assisting UK businesses who have registered interest in contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq. [116272]
Ms Hewitt: A key objective of the Department has been to help position UK companies to ensure that their expertise and knowledge of the Middle East region is put to the fullest possible use in the redevelopment of Iraq.
The hon. Member is aware of the main activities we have undertaken to assist companies, including our discussions with the US authorities. At my request, British Trade International set up an Industry Working Group, which will act as a channel of communication to industry in our work to help companies access opportunities. We have a database of nearly 1,000 UK companies interested in working in Iraq and to whom we send mailshot updates. We also held a joint seminar with the US authorities in London on 23 May 2003, which presented an excellent opportunity for UK companies to meet key US departments and contractors. Feedback received from members of the Industry Working Group and other has so far been
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positive. The redevelopment of Iraq will be a long process and it is too early to make an assessment of our efforts to help companies.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which companies her Department has assisted in winning contracts for the reconstruction of Iraq. [116273]
Ms Hewitt: We expect UK companies to play a significant role in the redevelopment of post-conflict Iraq. In the short-term, US funded contracts are likely to be the main source of opportunities for UK companies on a sub-contract basis. While we expect UK companies to bid for and win contracts, companies are not obliged to inform us if and when they have done so.
Mr. Yeo: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions she has had with (a) the Secretary of State for International Development, (b) the Chancellor of the Exchequer and (c) the Prime Minister about the reconstruction of Iraq. [116271]
Ms Hewitt [holding answer 3 June 2003]: The Cabinet and Ad Hoc Ministerial Group on Iraq has regular discussions on all aspects of our policy towards Iraq, including reconstruction.
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