Select Committee on Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Minutes of Evidence


Examination of Witnesses (Questions 140-145)

MALCOLM WEBB, MALCOLM WATSON, STEVEN BROWN AND STEPHEN THOMASON

10 SEPTEMBER 2003

  Q140  Alan Simpson: Have you costed the damage which the industry does in environmental terms, as an offset cost which someone else has to cover?

  Mr Webb: That is a very interesting question and I think we could get into the whole question of sustainable development and a very wide range of topics on that. I do not accept the view that my industry is despoiling the planet and destroying life in this country. I think we are doing a great deal for this country and we are a huge plus in the economic life of this country. So I think there is a fine balance there. I would be pleased to discuss that issue with you in a broader context but maybe outside the context of this meeting.

  Q141  Mr Jack: Have you had any direct discussions with either Treasury ministers or Treasury officials on the subject matter about which we are questioning you this afternoon?

  Mr Webb: No. Certainly I have had no direct discussions with them. It is a possibility, I suppose, as this matter progresses, that those discussions could take place. We are looking forward to the consultation exercise which is going to take place on the introduction of the Biofuels Directive and the achievement of the Biofuels Directive objectives, so I suppose it is quite possible that those will take place.

  Q142  Mr Jack: Given that in the last two Budgets this has been a subject of discussion, and likewise in the last two Finance Bills, also you have made no representations of a written nature to the Treasury at all on this?

  Mr Webb: We have made representations to the Government on our views on energy policy in general and the use of biomass in the energy mix, as I said at the beginning. Our view on that, and it has been a very consistent one, is that the taxpayers' money would best be spent on subsidising, if we are going to subsidise anything, the production of primary energy through biomass, that gets you more CO2 reduction at less cost.

  Q143  Mr Jack: Are there some economic numbers which you put behind that?

  Mr Webb: Yes.

  Q144  Mr Jack: I would be very interested in seeing that information, ahead of the discussion that we are planning to have next week with Government ministers, if that would not put you to an enormous amount of trouble?

  Mr Webb: Yes. We mentioned the studies in our submission to you and we will be very happy to give you further references to those in comparable studies.

  Mr Jack: Thank you very much.

  Q145  Chairman: Gentlemen, thank you very much for coming. Is there anything you want to say before you get your dismissal, as it were?

  Mr Webb: Thank you very much indeed for listening to us. It has been good to be able to put our side of the case before you. We thank you for that. If there is anything else that you think you would like from us, please let us know and I will make sure you have that.

  Chairman: Meanwhile, if there is anything you think of in that respect then no doubt you will let us have it, because our inquiry is not yet concluded. Thank you very much indeed for coming before us this afternoon.





 
previous page contents next page

House of Commons home page Parliament home page House of Lords home page search page enquiries index

© Parliamentary copyright 2003
Prepared 6 November 2003