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Export Credits Guarantee Department

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received from industry following her statement on the planned Export Credits Guarantee Department Trading Fund on 1 July. [194498]

Mr. Alexander: Representations about ECGD's future as a Trading Fund were made by industry and its trade bodies prior to my right. hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry's announcement of 1 July 2004, Official Report, column 22WS. None have been received since. We are committed to consulting on the outcome of the period of operating as a Pilot Trading Fund, which is due to begin next April.

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has for how the budget for improving efficiency and effectiveness of the Export Credits Guarantee Department will be spent over the next two years. [194499]

Mr. Alexander: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave in the Official Report on 11 October, Column 119W. We are awaiting proposals from the Chief Executive of ECGD before taking decisions.

Mr. Arbuthnot: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what change she has specified to the current requirement of Export Credits Guarantee Department to obtain Treasury Consents annually, as the Export Credits Guarantee Department (a) moves into Pilot Trading Fund status in April 2005 and (b) becomes a fully capitalised Trading Fund in April 2007. [194506]

Mr. Alexander: Sections 1, 2 and 3 of the Export and Investment Guarantees Act 1991 ('the Act') confer various powers on the Secretary of State acting through the Export Credits Guarantee Department, subject to the consent of the Treasury as required by section 4(2) of the Act. The requirement for ECGD to obtain Treasury consent will therefore continue throughout the Pilot Trading Fund, and during its status as a fully capitalised Trading Fund.

Fallow Field Initiative

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new (a) gas and (b) oil reserves have been identified from the fallow field initiative. [195066]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: My Department's fallow initiative seeks to put blocks and discoveries in the hands of who can explore and develop them. Activity prompted by the fallow initiative has already resulted in a number of discoveries, 12 of which have resulted in fields with active plans for development. Collectively these are likely to have reserves ranging between 200 and 250 million barrels of oil equivalent. I have provided an overall estimate because specific figures on oil and gas reserves for individual fields and accumulations are commercially sensitive and provided to my Department in confidence by the operating company.
 
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Fair Trade

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make it her policy that, during the UK's presidency of (a) the EU and (b) the G8, all hospitality is sourced from fair trade producers. [192899]

Mr. Alexander: The Department of Trade and Industry works closely with other Government departments to promote fair trade, and the Government are committed to supporting fair trade through their own suppliers wherever possible within the boundaries set by the public procurement rules.

The Government will work to ensure that hospitality offered by their caters within Government departments, when hosting EU Presidency and G8 events, will be sourced from fair trade products. Furthermore, the Government will work to ensure that hospitality provided for UK hosted EU Presidency and G8 events by any outside caterers is sourced from fair trade products where available.

Gas

Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much gas (a) was exported from the UK to Europe and (b) was imported from Europe to the UK in each year from 1999 to the latest year for which figures are available. [195805]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The amount of gas exported to and imported from Europe for the years 1999 to 2003 are shown in the table.
GWh

	Exports	Imports
1999	84,433	12,862
2000	146,342	26,032
2001	138,330	30,464
2002	150,731	60,493
2003	177,039	86,298

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her (a) plans and (b) timetable for bringing gas interconnectors on-stream. [195049]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Government policy, as set out in the White Paper "Our energy future-creating a low carbon economy" published in February 2003, is to have a market-based approach to deliver energy supply. There are commercial plans to expand the capacity of the existing interconnector from Zeebrugge planned to be operational by Winter 2005 (first phase) and Winter 2006 (second phase). There are also commercial plans to build a new interconnector between the Netherlands and the UK, aiming to be operational 2006–07, and the Langeled pipeline is planned to join the Norwegian Continental Shelf to Britain in 2006–07. The Joint Energy Security of Supply Working Group (JESS) publishes a regular overview of security of supply indicators over the medium term to assist market participants investment decisions and the information collected includes details of forthcoming planned gas interconnector projects.
 
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Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the gas reserves in the UK Continental Shelf. [195114]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: My Department publishes an annual assessment of the oil and gas reserves on the UK continental shelf (UKCS). The latest assessment is on the web at http://www.og.dti.gov.uk/information/bb_updates/chapters/reserves_index.htm. As at the end of 2003, proven, probable and possible gas reserves were estimated to total 590, 315 and 336 billion cubic metres (bcm) respectively. In addition, there are estimated to be a further 74–276 bcm of gas in potential additional reserves, which are not currently technically or commercially producible, and undiscovered resources of between 279 and 1,259 bcm. Gas production from the UKCS to end 2003 was just over 1,800 bcm; production is currently around 100 bcm per annum.

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has for gas storage over the next decade. [195065]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: This is a commercial matter, however, I understand there are public plans to build five gas storage facilities at Aldbrough, Byley, Humbly Grove, Welton and Preesall. These facilities are at different stages of the planning and delivery process.

The Joint Energy Security of Supply Working Group (JESS) publishes a regular overview of security of supply indicators including the status of potential and planned gas storage.

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the implications for gas storage requirements to meet peak winter gas demand when the UK becomes a net importer of gas. [195068]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The market is best placed to assess business opportunities for gas storage based on a commercial evaluation. Storage is only one method of providing the flexibility of gas supply to meet peak winter demand. The Joint Energy Security of Supply Working Group (JESS) publishes a regular overview of security of supply indicators and provides information to the market on the need for peak supply capacity. In addition, DTI writes to local planning authorities, considering gas storage projects, to ensure that they are aware of the national need for additional supply-side flexibility, including storage capacity, as North Sea gas production declines.

Mr. David Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her plans to ensure the security of supply of gas. [195116]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: As set out in the White Paper "Our energy future-creating a low carbon economy" published in February 2003, the Government believe that allowing the free operation of a competitive British market, within an appropriate regulatory framework, is the most efficient way to ensure security of supply of gas. Commercial operators have incentives to ensure a diversity of sources of gas, of supply routes and of entry points so as to reduce the risk of supply interruption through disruption of any one source or supply route. The Government are working towards liberalised and
 
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competitive markets both within the EU and beyond, and are using the EU's relations with Russia and other countries to support our energy objectives.

The Joint Energy Security of Supply Working Group (JESS) publishes a regular overview of security of supply indicators over the medium term to assist market participants investment decisions.

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