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Energy Use (Public Sector)

Mr. Tynan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on (a) trends in public sector energy usage over the last five years and (b) proposed trends in public sector energy usage over the next (i) five and (ii) 10 years. [197579]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: Use of energy within the public sector fell by 16 per cent. between 1998 and 2003. Projections for energy consumption in this sector indicate further reductions over the next 10 years.

Part E of the Sustainable Development Framework, published in February 2004, sets out the Government's aims for dealing with energy use in the Government Estate. The targets agreed for the central Government Estate are:

to reduce absolute carbon, from reductions in fuel and electricity used in buildings on their estate, by 12.5 per cent. by 2010–11, relative to 1999–2000;

to increase the energy efficiency of the buildings on their estate, measured in terms of kWh of (1) fuel and (2) electricity use per square metre of buildings floor area, or estate area, by 15 per cent. by 2010–11, relative to 1999–2000;

to source at least 10 per cent. of electricity from renewable sources by 31 March 2008;

to source at least 15 per cent. of electricity from Good Quality Combined Heat and Power by 2010;

to include clauses to ensure opportunities are identified and measures taken for reducing carbon emissions and collecting energy data (by fuel type), as far as practical, in all estate management contracts initiated from August 2004;

by March 2006 Government will develop a long-term strategy, up to 2020, for sourcing renewable energy on the Government Estate.

For the purposes of meeting the first target on absolute carbon reductions, all bought-in electricity—including from renewables and CHP—will be converted to carbon at the standard "grid" factor. (Carbon savings from renewables are attributed to the generators, so this procedure avoids double counting these savings.)

Additionally, there are targets for NHS bodies within England to reduce their level of primary energy consumption by 15 per cent. from March 2000 to March 2010.

Energy White Paper 2003

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will (a) list and (b) place copies in the Library of each paper on nuclear power officials of her Department prepared as part of the contribution to the Energy White Paper 2003. [198648]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Advisory Committee on protection against dumped imports met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement; [191592]
 
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(2) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Advisory Committee on protection against subsidised imports met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement; [191593]

(3) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Advisory Committee on common rules for exports of products met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement; [191594]

(4) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Quota Administration Committee met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement; [191595]

(5) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Advisory Committee on common rules for imports from certain third world countries met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement; [191612]

(6) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Committee on defence against obstacles to trade which affect the market of the Community or a non-member country met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement; [191613]

(7) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Textile Committee (conventional regime) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement; [191614]

(8) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Committee on common rules for imports of textile products from certain third world countries (autonomous regime) met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement; [191615]

(9) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Advisory Committee for implementation of the Community market-access strategy met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement; [191616]

(10) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Advisory Committee on common rules for imports of products from third countries met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement. [191596]

Mr. Alexander: The number of times that these Committees met is a matter for the EU Commission but if meetings had been called, these Committees would have met in Brussels and a UK Government representative would have attended. No statement is necessary on the workings or running of these Committees.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Committee for the harmonisation of credit insurance provisions for transactions with medium and long-term cover met;
 
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when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement. [191602]

Mr. Alexander: The Committee referred to meets only to consider a limited, number of issues. It did not meet during the Greek presidency.

During the Greek presidency, the European Council Working Group on Export Credits met five times in Brussels. Officials from ECGD were present.

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Advisory Committee on (a) State aid for the applications of Articles 92 and 93 of the EC Treaty to certain categories of horizontal State aid (exemption) and (b) State aid on the arrangements for applying Article 93 of the EC Treaty (procedure), met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (i) technical and (ii) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations each Committee produced during that period; what actions were (A) proposed and (B) taken by (1) the EU and (2) the UK Government as a result of each Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement; [196104]

(2) how many times during the Greek Presidency of the EU the Committee on the implementation of projects promoting co-operation and commercial relations between the European Union and the industrialised countries in North America, the Far East and Australasia met; when and where these meetings took place; what UK Government expert was present; and if she will make a statement; [191600]

(3) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Standing Committee on technical rules and standards, including rules relating to information society services, met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (a) technical and (b) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations each Committee produced during that period; what actions were (i) proposed and (ii) taken by (A) the EU and (B) the UK Government as a result of each Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement; [194880]

(4) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Management Committee on horizontal questions concerning trade in processed agricultural products not listed in Annex I met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (a) technical and (b) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (i) proposed and (ii) taken by (A) the EU and (B) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement; [194881]

(5) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Committee for the adaption to technical progress of Directives on the removal of technical barriers to trade in the sector of detergents met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK
 
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Government expert was present at each meeting; what (a) technical and (b) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (i) proposed and (ii) taken by (A) the EU and (B) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement; [194882]

(6) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Committee for the adaption to technical progress of Directives on the removal of technical barriers to trade in the sector of fertilisers met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (a) technical and (b) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (i) proposed and (ii) taken by (A) the EU and (B) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement; [194883]

(7) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the Committee for the adaptation to technical progress of directives on the removal of technical barriers to trade in the sector of lifting and mechanical handling appliances met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (a) technical and (b) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (i) proposed and (ii) taken by the (A) EU and (B) UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement; [194891]

(8) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the EC-China RTD Co-operation Steering Committee met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (a) technical and (b) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (i) proposed and (ii) taken by (1) the EU and (2) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement; [194901]

(9) how many times during the Greek presidency of the EU the EC-India RTD Co-operation Steering Committee met; when and where these meetings took place; which UK Government expert was present at each meeting; what (a) technical and (b) financial issues were raised by the UK Government expert at each meeting; what recommendations the Committee produced during that period; what actions were (i) proposed and (ii) taken by (1) the EU and (2) the UK Government as a result of the Committee's recommendations; and if she will make a statement. [194902]

Mr. Alexander: It has not proved possible to respond to the hon. Member in the time available before Prorogation.

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