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Written Answers to Questions
Tuesday 11 October 2005
ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS
Climate Change
Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the climate change programme review will be published; and if she will make a statement. [16534]
Mr. Morley: We are aiming to publish the revised UK Climate Change Programme before the end of the year.
Emissions Trading
Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the effect of the introduction of the European emission trading scheme on the cost of UK coal; and if she will make a statement. [16536]
Mr. Morley: The cost of supplying UK coal is not directly affected by the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. Emissions trading impacts the costs of downstream industries which use coal as a primary fuel input and which are captured by the scheme. One of the most important users of coal is the electricity generation industry. The final report of an independent study by Ilex Energy Consulting in 2004 on the impact of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme on the price of electricity for consumers across Europe is available on the Department of Trade and Industry's website (www.dti.gov.uk/energy/sepn/euets.shtml)
In July 2005, IPA Energy Consulting were commissioned to conduct a study on the impact of the scheme on investment and pricing within the UK power generation sector. The final report will be published on the Department of Trade and Industry's website in due course.
Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on UK participation in greenhouse gas emissions trading. [16841]
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Mr. Morley: The UK is participating in two greenhouse gas trading schemes: the national UK Emissions Trading Scheme and the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme.
The UK Emission Trading Scheme has been running since 2002, when 32 companies bid in voluntary emissions reduction targets for a share of Government incentive money. To date, the scheme has achieved emissions reductions of over 12 million tonnes of CO 2 . The scheme has proved a valuable experience for participants, brokers, verifiers and Government ahead of EU and international trading.
The EU Emissions Trading Scheme is a cost-effective and efficient way of reducing carbon dioxide emissions. On Tuesday 24 May 2005, the UK National Allocation Plan (NAP) was published, and the UK Registry went live allowing operators to begin trading.
The total number of allowances allocated to industry is based on progress beyond our Kyoto target and towards our national goal of a 20 per cent. cut in CO 2 emissions on 1990 levels by 2010. In the first phase (2005–08), the scheme is set to help reduce carbon dioxide emissions in the UK by around 65 million tonnes carbon dioxide (around 8 per cent.) below projected emissions.
For Phase II of the EU ETS a major UK priority is to address any gaps, anomalies, or competitive distortions that may have arisen during Phase I, and to look at whether there is scope to include further carbon dioxide emissions from existing sectors. Member states share a desire to move towards greater consistency in coverage and implementation across the EU25 in the second phase, and we are working with other member states and the Commission to discuss harmonisation on a range of key issues relating to the shape and scope of the scheme.
Greenhouse Gases
Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs by how much greenhouse gas emissions have risen in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [16538]
Mr. Morley: The following table shows UK emissions for the six Kyoto greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) methane (CH 4 ), nitrous oxide (N 2 O), the hydrofluorocarbons (MFCs), perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and sulphur hexafluoride (SF 6 ), in million tonnes of carbon equivalent, for each year since 1997. The table also shows the total emissions of the basket of six gases, in million tonnes of carbon equivalent. These figures are taken from the latest UK greenhouse gas inventory.
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Total UK greenhouse gas emissions decreased by 5.9 percent. between 1997 and 2003, relative to 1997. The table indicates year-on-year percentage change (negative values indicate a decrease from the previous year and positive an increase from the previous year).
Hazardous Waste
Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reasons there is no exemption from registration with the Environment Agency under the Hazardous Waste Regulations for construction sites that produce less than 200kg of hazardous waste a year. [15084]
Mr. Bradshaw: The purpose of site registration is to enable the Environment Agency to better identify those premises producing hazardous waste to facilitate the appropriate inspection of such premises as required by Article 4(1) of the Hazardous Waste Directive, and is consistent with our risk-based approach to regulation. It is recognised that some premises will in general produce only small amounts of relatively lower risk hazardous wastes such as fluorescent tubes and computer monitors, and they are exempt from the requirement to notify where they produce less than 200kg of hazardous waste per year. These premises include shops, offices, pubs, restaurants and farms as well as any establishments producing household waste. Industrial sites, including construction sites, are outside the scope of the exemption since they may produce higher risk waste such as soil contaminated by asbestos, coal tar or oil (all of which are carcinogenic). Nevertheless, there is provision for mobile service operators—such as painters and decorators—to be able to notify the site from which they operate rather than each site they visit where at each of those sites they produce less than 200kg of hazardous waste.
Kyoto Protocol
Mr. Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the Government plans to meet the Kyoto agreement to cut carbon emissions from 1990 levels by 12.5 percent. by 2010; and if she will make a statement. [16537]
Mr. Morley: The Government set out their policy on reducing emissions of the six greenhouse gases covered under the Kyoto Protocol in its publication 'Climate Change: The UK Programme' (CM 4913) in 2000. This publication contains a set of flexible measures covering a range of different sectors—including transport, agriculture, business and households.
The UK remains on course to meet its Kyoto target of a 12.5 percent. reduction on base year levels by 2008–2012. Details of the reductions in greenhouse gas levels achieved so far, the main measures already in place and future options under consideration to achieve further reductions in greenhouse gas levels are contained in the 2004 'Review of the UK Climate Change Programme Consultation Paper' (PB 10372). A revised Climate Change Programme will be published later this year.
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Sewers and Drains
Mrs. Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 7 April 2005, Official Report, column 1672W, on sewers and drains, when the Government intends to publish a decision paper on proposals to transfer ownership of private sewers and lateral drains from property owners to local water companies; and if she will make a statement. [16400]
Mr. Morley: The Government intends to publish a decision later this year, but does not rule out the need to consult further on the scope and form of a potential transfer.
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