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20 Nov 2003 : Column 1419W—continued
Combined Heat and Power
Mr. Blunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what the United Kingdom's combined heat and power generation capacity was on (a) 1 May 1997 and (b) the latest date for which figures are available; and what estimate she has made of how much capacity will be in place by 2010. [139406]
Mr. Bradshaw: I have been asked to reply and shall write to the hon. Member shortly.
Correspondence
Mr. Chope: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letter of 31 July from the hon. Member for Christchurch about restrictive and anti-competitive practices resulting from the Energy Efficiency Commitment programme. [131391]
Mr. Timms: The hon. Member's letter was transferred to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for answer as her Department has the lead for the Energy Efficiency Commitment programme.
Mr. Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when her Department will reply to the letter of 9 July from the hon. Member for Aylesbury on behalf of Ms C.Clements of Loosley Row, Bucks. [139304]
Mr. Mike O'Brien: The reply was sent to the hon. Member for Aylesbury on 19 November 2003.
Credit Card Cheques
Angela Eagle: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will introduce measures to ban the unsolicited sending of credit card cheques to existing card holders. [137020]
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Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government believes the key to protecting consumers from the adverse effects of such practices as the unsolicited sending of credit card cheques is ensuring responsible lending—expecting the industry to carry out adequate checks before sending credit card cheques; and ensuring all information is adequate and transparent. We are not currently considering introducing measures to ban the unsolicited sending of credit card cheques. Our approach is to empower consumers to make informed decisions. To this end we will outline measures in the Consumer Credit White Paper to ensure responsible lending across the range of lending practices.
Any further action is best taken through industry codes of practice. The industry is introducing measures to ensure greater transparency in the issuing of credit card cheques, including the information provided to consumers; and I have asked my officials to work with the industry to examine what further measures are necessary to address the concerns raised by the Treasury Select Committee.
Electricity
Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment her Department has made of the effect of a failure of the continental gas interconnector on electricity generation in the United Kingdom. [132437]
Mr. Timms: The DTI-Ofgem "Joint Energy Security of Supply Working Group" (JESS) monitors security of supply of gas and electricity in Great Britain. JESS's work has included discussion of NGT's "Winter Operations Report 2003/04" which assesses the outlook for electricity and gas supplies in the coming winter. The report was published on 14 October, and is available, with Ofgem's comments, on Ofgem's website (www.ofgem.gov.uk). It covered the interaction between electricity generation and gas supply.
NGT's overall assessment for electricity supply in the Great Britain (GB) for this winter was that while the generation margin has risen slightly, it was lower than in previous years, but there would be enough power to meet the forecast demand for electricity this winter under all but the most exceptional circumstances.
NGT's report noted that of the CCGT stations, all but 2.7 GW either have firm gas contracts or are able to use alternative fuels. This represents some 4 per cent. of the total generating capacity that NGT projected for this winter.
Since NGT's report was issued further generating plant has returned from mothball.
In prolonged severe winter weather, delivery of sufficient gas to meet demand (including for electricity generation) would depend on high production levels from the UKCS, and the availability of gas from storage and through the continental gas interconnector.
The interconnector has proved reliable when it is in import mode. As with any offshore infrastructure, the loss of a large supply source would reduce the resilience of the gas network and reduce the availability of gas-fired generation to the electricity network. However, there are strong financial incentives on parties to the
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interconnector to reduce the incidence and extent of any failures. Furthermore, in recent winters the interconnector has operated mainly in export mode.
NGT are taking a number of steps to reduce the risks to electricity supply that they have identified in the Winter Operations report. For example, they have recently undertaken a tender for additional reserve generating capacity.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the costs to (a) business and (b) consumers of the loss of electricity supply on (i) 28 August, affecting South London and parts of Kent and (ii) 5 September, affecting the East Midlands and West Midlands; and if she will make a statement. [139719]
Mr. Timms: The Department of Trade and Industry has not conducted a formal assessment of the costs of these events on electricity consumers.
The London event affected some 476,000 consumers and the Midlands event affected some 201,000 consumers. In both cases power supplies were restored to all consumers within an hour.
The Department recognises that the consequences of these power failures were serious, with disruption to surface rail, underground street lights and traffic systems, water supply and sewerage systems as well as to electricity users in homes and workplaces.
The Department submitted a memorandum to the Trade and Industry Committee on 14 November 2003 which explains the Department's role in investigating the circumstances of these events, and includes a discussion on specific lessons to be learned from these events and from other recent major power interruptions in America and Europe.
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The events are also being investigated by Ofgem. The main objective of Ofgem's investigation is to examine whether there has been a breach or breaches, of the statutory or licence obligations which apply to National Grid Company and the relevant distribution network operators involved.
Energy Supplies
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she intends to publish the Sustainable Energy Policy Network reports (a) First Retrospective Security of Supply Report and (b) Initial Conclusions of Energy Services. [140158]
Mr. Timms: Ofgem expects to publish the first retrospective security of supply report by the end of the year and then to publish subsequent reports every six months. The Government expect to report the initial conclusions on its work on energy services shortly.
Both these reports are part of the work of the Sustainable Energy Policy Network which is implementing the Energy White Paper "Our energy future—creating a low carbon economy".
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many power stations have received planning permission in each year since 1997; what the capacity is of each; how many of them are in operation and what their capacity is; and how many projects which received planning permission have had their permission revoked because they did not commence construction in the stipulated time, with the planned capacity of such plants. [140159]
Mr. Timms: The following power stations in England and Wales have been approved by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and Industry since 1997:
Notes:
CCGT: Combined cycle gas turbine
CHP: Combined heat and power
GT: Gas turbine
IGCC: Integrated gasification combined cycle
Onshore: Onshore wind turbine farm
Offshore: Offshore wind turbine farm
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The permissions are normally valid for five years from the date of issue and it is a commercial matter for the developer concerned on whether or not to implement his consent. The Secretary of State has not revoked any permissions. Permissions for power stations in Scotland are a matter for the devolved administration.
Malcolm Bruce: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 21 October 2003, Official Report, column 491W, on British Energy, how much of the credit facility available to British Energy has been drawn down by the company; and what plans she has to seek to extend this credit facility. [140346]
Mr. Timms: As at 19 November 2003, British Energy had drawn down £112 million of the £200 million credit facility available.
There are no plans to extend the duration of the credit facility. As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry said in her written statement of 14 October 2003 drawings under the credit facility can be made up to the date of the European Commission's decision on the Government's proposed restructuring aid, or 30 September 2004, whichever is earlier. Repayments under the credit facility have to be made by the earlier of the restructuring effective date or 30 September 2004.
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