| Previous Section | Index | Home Page |
2 Dec 2005 : Column 893W—continued
National Minimum Wage
Ms Katy Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees in his Department were affected by the rise in the national minimum wage on 1 October. [28976]
Alan Johnson: In the Department of Trade and Industry there were no employees affected by the increase in the national minimum wage on 1 October 2005.
New Power Stations
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total generating capacity is of proposals for new power stations being considered by his Department. [33638]
Malcolm Wicks: 7,667 megawatts.
Nuclear Power
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evidence he is taking into account when reviewing the future role of nuclear energy in the United Kingdom. [31713]
Malcolm Wicks: The forthcoming Energy Review will undertake an extensive analysis of evidence relating to a wide range of different energy technologies.
The terms of reference for the Energy Review have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received advocating renewed provision of nuclear power. [31717]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department receives many representations from the public and commercial companies, which both advocate and oppose the renewal of nuclear power.
Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much public money has been earmarked for investment in future nuclear fission development; and how much of that money is expected to be spent on the Generation IV Scheme. [33699]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 1 December 2005]: DTI has allocated £10 million, £5 million in 2006–07 and £5 million in 2007–08, to support UK involvement in international research on advanced nuclear energy systems. Much of this is expected to fund UK research on Generation IV systems for potential international deployment from around 2030; the exact amount will depend on the mix of research proposals that are submitted. The initiative will support UK skills needed to keep open the nuclear energy option and our capability to keep abreast of international developments and inform UK policy development.
The Research Councils have allocated £6 million to a consortium for research to Keep the Nuclear Option Open" which commenced in October 2005 for four years (of which a small element will focus on Generation IV technologies). EPSRC intends to award up to £5 million
2 Dec 2005 : Column 894W
to support an Engineering Doctorate Centre in Nuclear Skills, which will have a first intake of students in autumn 2006, and in May 2005 awarded £l million for a masters level training package—the Nuclear Technology Education Consortium (NTEC).
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) safety and (b) financial tests will be used to determine whether the building of further nuclear power stations will be approved. [32441]
Malcolm Wicks: The information is as follows:
(a) An operator may not begin construction of a new nuclear power station until a licence has been granted by the Health and Safety Executive. Before granting that licence HSE will need to be assured that the plant is robustly designed to ensure high levels of safety throughout its operation and eventual decommissioning. HSE has published its Safety Assessment Principles which guide its assessment of a prospective licensees safety submissions.
(b) The Energy Review will need to analyse costs of new nuclear power, alongside other technologies, as part of weighing up costs and benefits before a decision can be taken.
Dr. Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment the Department has made of the potential for nuclear power to increase its share of the national grid's electricity supply over the next 50 years. [32442]
Malcolm Wicks: The role of nuclear power in meeting the UK's future electricity generating needs will be examined in the recently announced Energy Review, alongside all other options to ensure the UK remains on track to meet our medium and long-term energy policy goals.
Overhead Power Cables
Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the estimated cost of repairs to overhead power cables was in each month since January 2000. [32644]
Malcolm Wicks: Expenditure to repair distribution overhead power lines was £47.1 million in 2000–01, £46.2 million in 2001–02, £71.8 million in 2002–03, £53.7million in 2003–04 and £53.1 million in 2004–05.
These figures are taken from data provided by the network operators to Ofgem.
Ofgem does not require the network companies to provide information on a monthly basis—to do so would place an unduly onerous burden on them.
Overseas Trade
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value of UK trade with (a) India, (b) China, (c) the EU, (d) the USA and (e) Russia and the former Eastern bloc countries was in each year since 1995. [33233]
Ian Pearson:
The figures requested are shown in the following tables.
2 Dec 2005 : Column 895W
(10)European Union figures cover current member states, except that 1995–98 figures exclude Cyprus and Malta.
Notes:
1.Since some of the former Eastern bloc countries are now in the European Union, the final column only gives figures for Russia.
2.Figures are shown on a balance of payments basis at current prices.
Source:
UK Balance of Payments Pink Book" 2005, Table 9.3
Postcodes
David Mundell: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether there are plans to remove responsibility for management of postcodes from the Royal Mail. [32820]
Power Stations
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many applications for the building of new power stations he is considering; and how many of these are for power stations in Wales. [32937]
Malcolm Wicks: There are currently 12 applications under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 for consent to construct new power stations, three of which are in Wales.
Protection of Trading Interests Act
Mr. Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the operation of the Protection of Trading Interests Act 1980. [28269]
Ian Pearson:
The Protection of Trading Interests Act (PTIA) was enacted in 1980 to counter US assertions of extraterritorial jurisdiction in the late 1970s. The PTIA was modified in 1996 by an order under section 2(2) of
2 Dec 2005 : Column 896W
the European Communities Act 1972 in order to give effect to Council Regulation (EC) 22717 96, otherwise known as the EU Blocking Statute, which prohibits compliance with the US embargo on Cuba. Although the PTIA was introduced as a defence against US extraterritorial attempts to assert its jurisdiction, the Act does not relate specifically to the US and can be invoked against any third country attempting to assert extraterritorial jurisdiction in the UK.
Three orders have been made under section 1 of the PTIA:
There has also been one order made under section 5, the Protection of Trading Interests (Australian Trade Practices) Order 1988 (SI 1988/569).
However, its terms have not been invoked since the introduction of the EU Blocking Statue in 1996, and in recent years the role of the PTIA has shifted from a means of enforcement to that of a deterrent.
| Next Section | Index | Home Page |