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Post Office Card Accounts

Matthew Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Post Office card accounts have been opened in Cornwall; and whether her Department has a target for the number of Post Office card accounts to be opened in Cornwall by the end of 2003. [120091]

Mr. Timms: The information is not available in the format requested. National figures only are available.

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However, I understand from the Post Office Ltd. that as of 31 May 2003, 32,900 Post Office card accounts have been opened. This number should grow rapidly over the coming weeks and months as those people opting for a card account complete the application process. By the end of May some 330,000 people had said they want to open a Post Office card account.

There are no targets for the number of people who can open a Post Office card account.

Mr. Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Post Office card accounts have been opened in (a) England, (b) Suffolk, (c) Norfolk, (d) Cambridgeshire, (e) Essex and (f) the Bury St. Edmunds constituency. [120426]

Mr. Timms: The information is not available in the format requested. National figures only are available.

I understand from the Post Office Ltd. that as of 31 May 2003, 32,900 Post Office card accounts had been opened.

This number should grow rapidly over the coming weeks and months as those people opting for a card account complete the application process. By the end of May some 330,000 people had said they want to open a Post Office card account.

Postage Stamps (Discounted Sales)

Mr. Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many postage stamps have been sold at a discounted price in the last 12 months; [118230]

(2) whether rural post offices may sell postage stamps at a discounted price; [118231]

(3) what assessment she has made of the competitive implications of selling of stamps at discounted prices. [118232]

Mr. Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 16 June 2003, Official Report, columns 49–50W.

Renewable Energy Policy

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what comparative studies her Department has undertaken with other European countries which have introduced subsidies for wood-fired power stations; what impact such subsidies have been seen to have had on the availability of wood for other purposes; and if she will make a statement; [119178]

(2) what assessment her Department has made of the impact of the Government's renewable energy policy on UK wood panel manufacturers; [119179]

(3) what assessment her Department has made of the impact on the availability of wood suitable for products of subsidies paid to electricity suppliers in the form of renewable obligation certificates. [119180]

Mr. Timms: The Renewables Obligation is the main instrument put in place by Government to promote the development of renewable forms of energy in the UK. The obligation is intended to provide an impetus for new generating capacity that will be required to meet our

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current targets for renewable energy set in the Energy White Paper and as a basis for further reductions in carbon dioxide emissions under Kyoto.

My officials are facilitating work between representatives of the UK wood industry and co-firing power stations to explore the opportunities offered by co-firing under the obligation for UK forestry, and, in particular, the potential for using byproducts from existing wood industries. It is hoped that this initiative, if successful, will have the dual benefit of reducing imports and making more biomass available for a larger market in the UK, thereby helping to stabilise prices. We understand from the forestry industry that it can meet demand from power generators from existing surplus forestry material. My officials are obtaining further information on the availability of forestry material used by power generators and wood panel manufacturers.

In addition, we are currently reviewing the co-firing rules under the obligation with a view to encouraging stronger take-up of energy crops by farmers which should, in time, relieve any pressure on forestry material.

Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what subsidies are available to the energy industry for (a) the incineration of biomass renewable fuels and (b) capital equipment such as wood fired generators; and how much these subsidies are estimated to amount to in terms of £ per ton of wood incinerated in power stations. [119182]

Mr. Timms: Capital Grants have recently been awarded to projects throughout the UK to construct biomass-fuelled heat and power generation plant. The scheme, jointly run by DTI and the New Opportunities Fund, is worth £66 million and will support the capital costs of projects. These funds have been fully allocated. Projects funded under the scheme are expected to use appropriate biomass fuels such as short rotation coppice and forestry wood fuels as the majority fuel source.

We do not collect information on the amount of subsidy in terms of tonnage of feedstock. Any estimates would be subject to a significant number of variables e.g. moisture, fuel source and efficiency.

Sewel Motions

Annabelle Ewing: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list Sewel motions passed by the Scottish Parliament since May 1999 that apply to her Department's responsibilities and Government bills she has sponsored. [120699]

Jacqui Smith: Of the Bills sponsored by my Department, the following were the subject of Sewel motion in the Scottish Parliament on the date indicated:

Electronic Communications23 June 1999


Financial Services and Markets23 June 1999


Limited Liability Partnerships23 June 1999


Insolvency 1 June 2000


Enterprise17 April 2002

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Telecommunication Masts

Mr Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many telecommunications masts there are; and how many of these are shared between different operators. [119600]

Mr. Timms: The total number of telecommunications masts in the UK is not recorded nor is it possible to state how many are shared. Some are owned and operated by the communications operators themselves and others are leased from specialist companies. Operators are required always to consider the possibility of sharing mastsor other structures in order to minimise their number. Many structures such as power transmission pylons are shared with telecommunications equipment.

Mr Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new masts she estimates will be required to fulfil the telecommunications obligation under the 3G licences by 2007; and how many of them she estimates will be shared. [119602]

Mr. Timms: It is not possible to give a reliable estimate of the number of new masts that will be needed to fulfil the obligations of the 3G licensees, nor the number that will be shared. The total number of masts will be affected by the level of demand for 3G services, by commercial decisions related to the design of the networks and by the requirements of planning authorities. The four operators with existing GSM networks will also be able to reduce the number of sites required by co-locating the 3G and GSM antennae. Two of the operators, T-Mobile and MMO2 have entered into an agreement to share parts of their networks and this will significantly reduce the numbers of masts required. All operators are required to consider the sharing of masts and this has a significant effect in reducing the total number required.

Broadband

Shona McIsaac: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been allocated towards the introduction of broadband in (a) Cleethorpes, (b) Great Grimsby, (c) Scunthorpe and (d) Brigg and Goole. [119441]

Mr. Timms: This information is not currently held centrally. Yorkshire Forward is committed to and very active in supporting pilot projects looking at broadband coverage across Yorkshire and Humberside and delivers a region-wide integrated strategy.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

National Endowment for Science, Technology andthe Arts

Dr. Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of income was spent on administration by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts in the last financial year. [121337]

Estelle Morris: In the financial year 2001–02 (the last year for which audited data is available), NESTA spent £1.204 million out of total expenditure of £13.541 million (8.9 per cent.) on non-programme

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expenditure. Audited figures for the financial year 2002–03 will be available in the autumn, and a copy will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Olympic Games

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland concerning London's bid for the 2012 Olympic Games; and what measures she has taken to promote Northern Ireland as a host region for games events. [120888]

Mr. Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has held no separate discussions with her right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regarding London's bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2012. The decision to bid for the Games and related matters was discussed by the Cabinet, of which the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland is a member.

A Bid Company for London 2012, established by the stakeholders, the Government, the Mayor of London and the BOA, will prepare the technical bid for the IOC. They will have the responsibility for identifying proposed venues for Games. Should London be selected as the host city for the 2012 Games there will be opportunities to spread the benefits around the UK, for example through providing training camps for teams from visiting nations, the cultural programme and staging the Olympic football competition.

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