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4 Apr 2005 : Column 1220W—continued

North Sea Oil

Mr. Trimble: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) monetary value and (b) output in barrels was of North sea oil in each of the past five years. [224069]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The latest relevant annual data published by my Department are for 2003. Assuming 7.5 barrels per tonne of oil, the information sought is as follows.
 
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UK continental shelf

	(a) Sales of crude oil (£ million)	(b) Crude oil production (million barrels)
1999	10,257	964.4
2000	16,275	884.1
2001	13,646	812.9
2002	13,629	805.7
2003	13,365	733.8

Nuclear Power

Llew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received from Ineos Chlor expressing an interest in funding a new nuclear power plant. [224042]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: None.

Pharmaceutical Products

Mr. Flook: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether her Department has discussed the recall of pharmaceutical products with the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency as part of its consultation on the implementation of the general product safety directive. [223803]

Ms Hewitt [holding answer 24 March 2005]: Yes.

Sellafield

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the reliability of instruments used to measure plutonium levels in drums at Sellafield; and what the maximum factor of error is relative to the estimated level present which it is accepted can occur. [221565]

Mr. Mike O'Brien [holding answer 14 March 2005]: Plants which handled plutonium waste drums at Sellafield operate under safety cases. These define the level of reliability required from instrument systems measuring the waste. Reliability varies according to the nature of the operations being conducted, but in all cases in instrument systems the required reliability levels. Both the safety cases and the substantiation process comply with industry standards and are subject to inspection by industry regulators.

It is normal for safety cases to require instrument systems to add to the reported plutonium figures an allowance for reasonable measurement uncertainties. The margin by which the results are overestimated depends on the specifics of the particular instrument system and upon the physical properties of the waste within each drum. In some cases this margin can be a significant fraction of the reported figure.

Solar Photovoltaics

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) whether funding allocations for domestic and other small-scale solar photovoltaic installations under her Department's Major Demonstration Programme will continue until August; [224073]
 
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(2) what steps her Department is taking to ensure that funding allocations for domestic solar photovoltaic installations under her Department's Major Demonstration Programme will continue from summer 2005. [224074]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: I would refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to her previously on 14 March 2005, Official Report, column 76W.

Sue Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date the application for EU State Aid clearance was made for the £6 million solar photovoltaic Major Demonstration Programme announced by her Department in September 2004. [224075]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: The application for State Aid clearance for the extension to the Major PV Demonstration Programme was made on 4 January 2005.

Wind Farms

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her most recent estimate is of the number of wild bird deaths from each wind farm; what advice she gives to wind farm operators to protect birds; and what assessment she has made of experience from wind farms in other countries in respect of the protection of birds from wind turbines. [224530]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We do not have estimates for the number of wild bird deaths from each wind turbine in the UK. However, we are not aware of any UK wind farms that have been associated with substantial adverse impacts on birds. As part of the planning process for wind farms in the UK, developers have to provide environmental assessments of their proposals which consider impacts on a range of factors, including those related to birds. The assessments are considered by the nature conservation agencies (English Nature and the Countryside Council for Wales) and are made available for public scrutiny so other organisations such as the RSPB and local bird clubs can offer comments on the suitability of wind farm locations. The DTI advises wind farm developers to make early contact with these organisations as part of their preparatory planning for wind farm projects.

Experience from other countries shows that badly sited wind farms can have impacts on birds, for example, Altamont Pass in California where there is extensive wind development and also a high year-round raptor use which has led to high bird mortality rates. This should be kept in the context of the existing background bird mortality from collision with, for example, buildings and vehicles which is far greater.

I understand that research from Denmark suggests that birds, by day or night, tend to change their flight route some 100–200 metres before a turbine and so pass above it at a safe distance.

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the area of onshore land which will be required to meet the Government's wind turbine programme. [217511]

Mr. Mike O'Brien: We have not made our own estimate of the area of onshore land required. That said, we note that the British Wind Energy Association
 
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(BWEA), in a report dated November 2003, estimated that between 800 to 1,200 hectares across the UK would be used for foundations and access roads for onshore wind farms to meet the 2010 target.

Working Conditions

Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on changes to working conditions for employees since 1997. [217465]

Mr. Sutcliffe: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 24 February 2005, Official Report, column 797W.

World Intellectual Property Organisation

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to support the formulation by the World Intellectual Property Organisation of (a) a development agenda and (b) measures to promote the transfer across the jurisdictions of material in formats accessible to disabled people created under copyright exceptions in national legislation. [223735]

Mr. Sutcliffe: The Government, together with their European partners, are playing a positive role in supporting WIPO's work on the development-related aspects of IP. Our efforts build on commitments given in our response to the 2002 report on the subject by the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights. Specifically, the Patent Office is engaged in making and discussing proposals with WIPO officials, developed and developing countries aiming towards an IP system which enables developing countries to make best use of their innovative and creative activity so as to achieve social and economic progress. We must also ensure that the legitimate interests of those holding intellectual property are properly protected to facilitate wider international investment in developing countries.

In November 2004, the WIPO Standing Committee on copyright and related rights considered a proposal by Chile that the committee should address the subject of exceptions to rights for the purposes of education, libraries and disabled persons. A constructive exchange resulted in full support from those present, including the United Kingdom, for further discussion at the committee's next session planned for later this year.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Iraq (Legal Advice)

Adam Price: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on the Attorney-General's duty to provide legal advice to Parliament. [223250]

The Solicitor-General: The Attorney-General and I are legal advisers to the Government. On occasion—where this does not conflict with our Governmental role—we also give advice to Parliament on procedural questions, matters of standards and privileges, and on the meaning and effect of proposed legislation.

Adam Price: To ask the Solicitor-General whether the Attorney-General, or his advisers, in drafting the Parliamentary answer setting out his view on the legal basis for the use of force in Iraq dated 17 March 2003
 
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had concluded that (a) there was no prospect of a successful legal challenge of a decision by Her Majesty's Government to use force in Iraq at any competent international court, (b) there were no legal grounds on which such a challenge could be based and (c) while justiciable grounds existed, such a challenge was unlikely to be initiated. [223779]

The Solicitor-General: The advice given by the Attorney-General is not publicly disclosed.

Adam Price: To ask the Solicitor-General on what date the Attorney-General agreed with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary the proposal to make a written statement to Parliament setting out his view of the legal basis for the use of force in Iraq; on what date this discussion was first initiated; on whose initiative; and when the Attorney-General was first informed of the question tabled by the Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale which he answered on 17 March 2003. [223783]

The Solicitor-General: Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale tabled her question to the Attorney-General on 17 March 2003. The question was inspired by the Government to enable the Attorney-General to set out his view to Parliament of the legal basis for the use of force against Iraq. Ministerial discussions about the making of a statement to Parliament are not disclosed.

Glenda Jackson: To ask the Solicitor-General pursuant to her answer of 8 March 2005, Official Report,column 1639W, on Iraq (Legal Advice), if she will publish the assistance furnished by Professor Christopher Greenwood, QC, in preparation of the Attorney-General's statement to Parliament of 17 March 2003. [224014]

The Solicitor-General: The assistance provided by Professor Greenwood in relation to the preparation of the Attorney-General's written answer of 17 March 2003 was given at a meeting with the Attorney-General on 16 March 2003, as described in a written answer given by the Attorney-General on 28 February 2005, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA1.

Mr. Simon Thomas: To ask the Solicitor-General on what date the legal advice from Professor Greenwood relating to the war in Iraq was received; and how much was paid for the advice. [224070]

The Solicitor-General: As my right hon. Friend the Attorney-General said in reply to Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 21 March 2005, Official Report, House of Lords, column WA3, and as I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Llew Smith) on 8 March 2005, Official Report, column 1639W, Professor Greenwood was not instructed to advise on whether the war in Iraq would be lawful.

The answer given my right hon. Friend the Attorney-General on 21 March set out the fees paid to Professor Greenwood for the assistance he has provided between March 2003 and March 2005 in relation to a variety of different legal issues arising from the Iraq conflict. Christopher Greenwood QC was instructed in relation
 
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to these issues because he is a highly regarded professor of international law and advocate who has advised the Government on issues of international law on many occasions, including in relation to cases in both domestic and international courts.

Adam Price: To ask the Solicitor-General if the Attorney-General will publish background papers used to prepare his written parliamentary answer on the legality of the use of force in Iraq of 17 March 2003. [224460]

The Solicitor-General: The Attorney-General's written parliamentary answer of 17 March 2003 was based on his legal advice. The Government do not intend to publish this advice.

Llew Smith: To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list each legal authority consulted by the Attorney-General in the preparation of his opinion on the legalityof taking military action against Iraq in March 2003. [224467]

The Solicitor-General: No. The information requested relates to the provision of advice by the Law Officers and is not disclosed.

Llew Smith: To ask the Solicitor General what criteria were used in deciding to engage Professor Christopher Greenwood as an adviser on considering the legality of military action against Iraq in 2003. [224469]

The Solicitor-General: As my right hon. Friend the Attorney General said in reply to Baroness Miller of Chilthorne Domer on 21 March 2005, Official Report, column WA3, and as I said in my reply to the hon. Member on 8 March 2005, Official Report, column 1639W, Professor Greenwood was not instructed to advise on whether the war in Iraq would be lawful.

The answer given by my right hon. Friend the Attorney General on 21 March set out the fees paid to Professor Greenwood for the assistance he has provided between March 2003 and March 2005 in relation to a variety of different legal issues arising from the Iraq conflict. Christopher Greenwood QC was instructed in relation to these issues because he is a highly regarded professor of international law and advocate who has advised the Government on issues of international law on many occasions, including in relation to cases in both domestic and international courts.

Llew Smith: To ask the Solicitor-General how many pages constituted the briefing material the Attorney-General used in support of his presentation to Cabinet on 17 March 2003 of his legal opinion on the legality of taking military action against Iraq. [224550]

The Solicitor-General: At the meeting of the Cabinet on 17 March 2003, the Attorney-General reported that he had answered a parliamentary question on the authority for the use of force in Iraq. He produced the text of that answer for Cabinet and made an oral presentation. It was also reported that the Foreign Secretary had sent a memorandum to the Foreign Affairs Committee on the legal basis for the use of force.

Llew Smith: To ask the Solicitor-General what meetings (a) she and (b) the Attorney-General held with (i) Ministers, (ii) Government special advisers, (iii)external contracted advisers and (iv) officials of foreign Governments between 7 March and 17 March
 
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2003, in respect of the preparation of the Attorney-General's legal advice on military action against Iraq. [224555]

The Solicitor-General: Neither the Solicitor-General nor the Attorney-General held any meetings with Ministers, Government special advisers, external contracted advisers or officials of foreign Governments between 7 March 2003 and 17 March 2003 for the purpose of preparing the Attorney-General's legal advice on military action against Iraq.

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