House of Commons Hansard Written Answers for 2 Dec 2005 (pt 30)

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Wind-generated Electricity

Paddy Tipping: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contribution (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind-generated electricity made to the UK's electricity supply system on each day from 16 November to 23 November; and what capacity factors were recorded by individual wind farms on each day during this period. [33557]

Malcolm Wicks: The Government do not collect information on the contribution of onshore or offshore wind generated electricity to the UK's electricity supply, or the capacity factor of individual wind farms, on a daily basis.

Information on the annual contribution of onshore and offshore wind generated electricity is published in the Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES). A copy of DUKES is available from the Libraries of the House. Information on load factors is also published on an annual basis and available from the DTI's website http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy.

A paper by the Environmental Change Institute on Wind Power and the UK Wind Resource, suggests that the annual capacity factor for wind power in the UK

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(long term average of over 27 per cent.) compares favourably to that of Denmark (around 20 per cent.) and Germany (around 15 per cent.). The expansion of wind power to higher wind speed locations, including offshore, may result in capacity factor increasing in the future.

World Trade

Adam Afriyie: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress in the current round of international trade negotiations. [32418]

Ian Pearson: The draft text for the Hong Kong Ministerial was issued on 26 November by Pascal Lamy, Director General of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). Lamy will now consult further with Members before the General Council meeting on 1–2 December, which will submit the text for discussion by Ministers in Hong Kong.

All WTO members need to come to Hong Kong ready to make tough political decisions that will secure a pro-development outcome and enable the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) to be concluded by 2006.

Mr. Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's priorities are for the World Trade Organisation talks in December. [32477]

Ian Pearson: The UK Government's priority for the Hong Kong ministerial conference is to secure agreement to a package that is pro-development, helps build a more competitive European economy and allows a conclusion to the round by the end of 2006.

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes he is seeking to make to the EU's negotiating position in advance of the World Trade Organisation's ministerial conference in Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement on the United Kingdom's objectives for this conference. [32691]

As presidency, the UK's main role during the ministerial conference will be to support the European Commission in its role as negotiator, liaising with member states to develop a flexible EU position that will help progress negotiations. The UK has every confidence in the Commission's grasp and understanding of its negotiating mandate.

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to reflect the needs and interests of developing countries at current World Trade negotiations on agriculture. [32773]

Ian Pearson: The needs and interests of developing countries are at the heart of the current World Trade negotiations. The Department of Trade and Industry works closely with other relevant Government Departments, in particular the Department for Environment, Food and

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Rural Affairs and the Department for International Development, to design UK trade policy and influence the EU trade policy position.

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the data that were used as a basis for UK support for the non-agricultural market access negotiations at the World Trade Organisation. [32774]

Ian Pearson: There is a wide range of analysis, including by international organisations such as UNCTAD (United National Conference on Trade and Development), World Bank and (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) OECD, which has been used to inform UK policy on NAMA. These analyses draw on published trade and tariff data collected by the above organisations.

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department will take to deliver fair and free trade at the forthcoming World Trade Organisation ministerial in December. [32865]

Ian Pearson: The Government are committed to achieving an ambitious, pro-development package at the WTO ministerial conference in Hong Kong in December, which will allow a successful conclusion to the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) by the end of 2006.

The DDA has the potential to deliver a freer and fairer trading system, through substantially increased market access for developing countries and the dismantling of trade-distorting subsidies by industrialised countries, with poor countries given the flexibility to decide, plan and sequence trade reforms. The Department is pressing for as much progress as possible towards a deal at the Hong Kong ministerial.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will support measures to allow developing countries to set their level of tariff reductions in accordance with their development needs at the World Trade Organisation Hong Kong ministerial meeting. [33092]

Ian Pearson: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Oaten) on 7 November, Official Report, column 57W.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to implement the UK's commitments to ensure that developing countries are not obliged to open up their markets through international trade agreements. [33093]

Ian Pearson: We are working closely with relevant Government Departments, particularly the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department for International Development, to influence the EU trade policy position and achieve an ambitious, pro-development outcome at Hong Kong in line with the UK's objectives.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he will take to ensure full account is taken of the interests of developing countries during the World Trade Organisation negotiations in Hong Kong in December. [33094]

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Ian Pearson: The needs and interests of developing countries are at the heart of the current World Trade negotiations. The Department of Trade and Industry works closely with other Government Departments including the Department for International Development and The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to design UK trade policy and influence the EU trade policy position.

The UK is supporting meaningful special and differential treatment for developing countries in every part of the negotiation. The UK is supporting the right of developing countries to plan and sequence reforms in line with national poverty reduction strategies and the right for LDCs to make no new commitments at all. The UK is also working to encourage other WTO members to offer full duty and quota free market access to least developed countries as the EU already does.

Outside of the WTO, the UK has agreed to treble our trade related assistance to help the poorest countries build their supply side capacity to trade to £100 million

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per annum by 2010. As a donor we are also actively engaged in discussions to design the World Bank enhanced integrated framework on 'Aid for Trade'.

Mr. Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his targets are for the Doha development round at the Hong Kong ministerial meeting in December; what assessment he has made of the implications of failing to reach an agreement in Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement. [33095]

Ian Pearson: The UK Government's target for the Hong Kong ministerial conference is to secure agreement to a package that is pro-development, helps build a more competitive European economy and allows a conclusion to the round by the end of 2006.

Many issues remain to be resolved in the negotiations and reaching agreement on as many of these as possible in Hong Kong will be critical to meeting the 2006 deadline. This deadline, which is widely accepted, stems from the expiry of the US Trade Promotion Authority in 2007.