| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
22 Oct 2003 : Column 580W—continued
CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
Analogue Transmission
Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to assist those receiving television through communal systems when the analogue system of transmission ends; and if she will make a statement. [132799]
Mr. Caborn: We recognise the importance of those living in multi-occupancy dwellings being able to access digital television services. The Digital TV Project Team is looking at how digital equipment will operate in such dwellings and how best to promote digital television among landlords responsible for communal systems. We will consider whether any specific measures are needed in this area before switchover begins. We have published an information leaflet aimed at encouraging landlords to take up digital television. A copy can be found on the website: www.digitaltelevision.gov.uk.
New Opportunities Fund
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much capital the New Opportunities Fund has directed to (a) Birkenhead, (b) Wirral and (c) Merseyside since its inception. [133589]
Mr. Caborn: According to information supplied by distributors for the Department's Lottery Awards Database, the New Opportunities Fund has awarded
22 Oct 2003 : Column 581W
£3,744,140 to the Birkenhead constituency, £16,536,709 to the Wirral Local Authority area and £62,371,292 to Merseyside.
Youth Development (Football)
Mr. Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her Answer on 28 April 2003, Official Report, column 188W, on Youth Development (Football), when the Government will begin to contribute the money that has been committed to the Football League's Youth Development Scheme. [133243]
Mr. Caborn: All of the clubs in the Football League's Youth Development Scheme have already received the first quarter payment for the new football season 2003–04. All the funding partners have agreed in principle to funding the scheme until 2005–06 and we are currently discussing the details with the funding partners.
TRADE AND INDUSTRY
Fertilisers
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of competition in the manufacture and supply of fertilisers. [132662]
Jacqui Smith: The Department of Trade and Industry has not looked at this issue.
British Trade Promotions
Mr. McNamara: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the cost of promoting British branding and identity overseas in the last year for which figures are available; and what element of this expenditure promotes (a) Welsh, (b) Scottish and (c) Irish branding and identity as a distinct component of that of the United Kingdom as a whole. [131946]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: British Trade International, through the activity of Invest.UK and Trade Partners UK, contributes circa £900,000 towards the promotion of the branding and identity of the United Kingdom as a whole.
The Devolved Administrations and the Regional Development Agencies have their own budgets for overseas promotion.
Construction Industry
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much Quality Mark work was taken up by the construction industry in each year since its introduction. [132846]
Nigel Griffiths: The total declared turnover for Quality Mark warranty purposes in 2002 was £17 million. In 2003 the declared turnover has been approximately £21.5million up to the present time. The value of work undertaken through affiliating scheme members is not yet available.
22 Oct 2003 : Column 582W
Electricity
Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what level of installed electricity generation capacity above (a) average demand and (b) peak demand was available in 2002–03; and what level she expects will be (i) available and (ii) available but mothballed in (A) 2003–04, (B) 2004–05 and (C) 2005–06. [132434]
Mr. Timms: In the winter of 2002–03, installed generating capacity for England and Wales was 67.6 GW. Actual peak demand was 54.8 GW and adjusting this to average cold spell (ACS) weather conditions and adding back estimated voluntary demand reduction at peak, gives a figure of 55.1 GW. Peak demand under average winter weather is reckoned by National Grid Company (NGC) to be about 96 per cent. of peak demand under ACS conditions.
In the July 2003 Update to their Seven Year Statement, NGC published the following projections for ACS demand and installed capacity:
| GW | ||
|---|---|---|
| ACS demand | Installed capacity | |
| 2003–04 | 55.9 | 65.1 |
| 2004–05 | 56.8 | 66.9 to 67.2 |
| 2005–06 | 57.7 | 67.7 to 68.9 |
The range of projections shown for installed capacity reflects the extent to which plant not yet under construction comes forward. The projections for installed capacity do not allow for any plant closures not yet announced, for return of currently mothballed plant, or for new generating capacity yet to enter transmission contracts with NGC.
PowerGen announced on 19 August 2003 its intention to return a 650 MW unit at Grain to service for the coming winter. It also announced on 15 October 2003 that it had started work that could bring a further 650 MW unit at Grain back for this winter. On 16 October 2003, International Power announced its intention to return a 250 MW unit at Deeside to service from 20 October 2003. NGC will take these announcements into account for the October 2003 Update to the Seven Year Statement, due to be released later this month.
Further information on the prospects for gas and electricity security for the coming winter, and on the outturn for last winter, can be found in the "Winter Operations Report", issued by National Grid Transco (NGT) on 14 October 2003, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. That report estimated that there is some 4.2 GW of mothballed generating capacity capable of returning to service within 24 months or less, of which 0.8GW could be returned in less than three months. However, the report does not take account of the announcements of 15 and 16 October 2003 referred to above.
All figures for installed capacity include the full capacity of the interconnectors with France and Scotland.
22 Oct 2003 : Column 583W
NGC consider ACS conditions as a level of demand that has a 50 per cent. probability of occurring within any winter. Since 1990, actual peak demand has never exceeded ACS corrected peak demand, although this may be due in part to voluntary demand reduction at peak periods.
The NGC Seven Year Statement, and updates to it, can be found at: www.nationalgrid.com/uk/library/documents/sys 03/dcfault.asp
Fireworks
John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what discussions she has had with (a) representatives of the fireworks industry, (b) local authorities and (c) police representatives since the passing of the Fireworks Act 2003; [133509]
- (2) what plans she has to make use of her powers under the Fireworks Act 2003. [133510]
Mr. Sutcliffe: The Department is committed to implementing and ensuring proper enforcement of the Fireworks Act 2003. We hope to implement those parts of the Act dealing with anti-social issues before Christmas. Discussions have taken place with the fireworks industry with regard to enshrining the voluntary air bombs ban in legislation under the Act.
Discussions have also taken place with local authorities and police representatives on the creation of a curfew for the use of fireworks between the hours of 11pm and 7am and creating an offence for possession of fireworks by those under 18 years of age respectively.
The Act's other principal provisions—setting a maximum noise limit for fireworks, licensing of suppliers, rules for public firework displays, importation of fireworks and training of display operators—require more detailed consultation with all the interested parties. We will start implementation of this part of the Act in the new year.
HSE Inspectors
Mr. Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether bonus arrangements for Health and Safety Executive inspectors include a target to reach a certain number of prosecutions per year. [132903]
Mr. Browne: I have been asked to reply.
Health and Safety inspectors are not paid bonuses for achieving target numbers of prosecutions in any year.
Imports (Asia)
Denzil Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value was of goods imported from (a) the People's Republic of China, (b) India and (c) Japan into the (i) United Kingdom and (ii) European Union in the last year for which figures are available. [132750]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: According to figures published by Eurostat, UK and European Union imports of goods from the People's Republic of China, India and Japan in 2002 were as follows.
22 Oct 2003 : Column 584W
| UK | EU | |
|---|---|---|
| China | 10,539 | 51,196 |
| India | 1,845 | 8,175 |
| Japan | 8,339 | 42,876 |
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |