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19 Jan 2006 : Column 1517W—continued

Predictive Diallers

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many calls were made from call centres in his Department in 2004–05 using predictive diallers; how many such calls resulted in contact being made with the recipient without a Government agent available to talk to them; and what assessment he has made of the likely impact of Ofcom's policy on silent calls on the use of predictive diallers in departmental call centres. [28165]

Alun Michael: The Department of Trade and Industry does not use predictive dialling in any of its call centres.

Regional Development Agencies

Mrs. Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of Regional Development Agency expenditure is from his Department's funding streams. [42827]

Alun Michael: In 2005–06 the Department of Trade and Industry is contributing £590 million (27 per cent.) of the Regional Development Agencies' total funding.

Restriction of Hazardous Waste Substances Directive

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Government plan to implement the EU restriction of hazardous waste substances directive; and what the EU response has been to the UK's timescale. [41924]

Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 18 January 2006]: The Government transposed the requirements of the restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment (RoHS) directive on 7 October 2005, (SI 2005 no. 2748). These regulations will come into force on 1 July this year, in line with the implementation timetable specified within the directive.

Sakhalin Energy Investment Company

Mr. Llwyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether a copy of the report on revised SEIC (Sakhalin Energy Investment Company) river crossings strategy document has been submitted to his Department. [41226]

Ian Pearson: The Export Credits Guarantee Department has received a number of Reports on this subject.

A copy of the latest river crossings strategy can be found on the Sakhalin Energy website at:
 
19 Jan 2006 : Column 1518W
 

www.sakhalinenergy.com/documents/doc_lender_eia_sr1.pdf.

Reports on the river crossings carried out to date can be found at:

http://www.sakhalinenergy.com/environment/rivers/riv_ main.asp

Small Business Research Initiative

Mr. Byers: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much each Science Council has awarded under the Small Business Research Initiative; what percentage this represents of its overall Research and Development budget; and when further allocations will be made. [42930]

Barry Gardiner [holding answer 17 January 2006]: Historically, Research Councils (which are not Government Departments) have voluntarily contributed to SBRI targets but did not collect accurate data during 2003–04 and 2004–05 on the proportion allocated to small businesses.

Following the announcement in the Budget by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer that the SBRI would now be mandatory, the Research Councils will promote a Small Business Research scheme (similar to, but distinct from, SBRI). They are committed to spending at least 2.5 per cent. of a baseline of £815 million in 2005–06 on university/SME collaborations and directly with SME's.

Allocations have been, and will continue to be, made throughout the year with Councils advertising funding opportunities on their individual websites.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Richard Ottaway: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he plans to implement the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive. [43239]

Malcolm Wicks: On 14 December Government announced review of proposals for implementing the WEEE directive in the UK. This decision reflected the continuing concerns expressed by businesses and stakeholders. It also reflected the Government's commitment to implementing the directive in the UK in a way, which maximises the environmental benefits associated with the directive and minimises the costs to business.

The review will be undertaken by a cross departmental team and will be followed by a full consultation exercise in the spring before we proceed to transpose the main provisions of the directive into UK law. A new timetable for implementation will not be set until the review is concluded.

Wave Power

Mr. Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research his Department has conducted on the effectiveness of the (a) oscillating water column and (b) superbuoy wave power installations. [43304]

Malcolm Wicks: Since 1976 the DTI and its predecessor the Department of Energy has supported the following oscillating water column research projects:
 
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File number	Project title	Contractor	Start date	End date	DTI/DEn Spend (£)
V/01/00004/00/00	Development of Oscillating Water Columns	National Engineering Laboratory	1 April 1976	31 March 1978	1,898,645
V/01/00045/00/00	Feasibility Study of the Wells Oscillator	Queens University of Belfast	1 January 1979	31 October 1979	50,150
V/04/00147/00/00	Consultancy on Review of NEL Oscillating Water Column Device (OWC)	National Engineering Laboratory	22 August 1990	22 July 1991	17,500
V/03/00157/00/00	Wave Tank Testing of Wave Power Collectors	Wavegen	1 September 1991	31 May 1992	49,324
V/03/00162/00/00	Costing and Assessment of Art OWC	Advanced Mechanics and Engineering Limited	3 August 1992	30 April 1993	23,260
V/02/00174/00/00	Assessment of Art Osprey, Tow-Out and Turbine	Wavegen	1 December 1993	31 March 1994	11,850
V/06/00180/00/00	Wave Energy Conversion: Wavegen Project Development Conversion	Wavegen	1 February 2000	31 January 2002	34,500
V/06/00183/00/00	Research into the Further Development of the Limpet Shoreline Wave Energy Plant	Wavegen	12 June 2000	11 June 2002	231,703
V/06/00190/00/00	Prolongation of Deployment and Monitoring of 'SPERBOY' Wave Energy Device	University of Plymouth	1 April 2001	31 March 2002	49,803
V/06/00196/00/00	The Potential for Using Disused Coastal Mineshafts to Exploit Wave Energy	Wardell Armstrong International Ltd	1 August 2001	31 July 2004	114,479
V/06/00201/00/00	Near Shore Floating OWC—Prototype Development and Evaluation	Wavegen	1 January 2003	31 July 2004	67,820
V/06/00202/00/00	Near Shore Floating OWC—Power Take—Off System	Wavegen	1 January 2003	30 June 2005	131,500
V/06/00201/00/00	Near Shore Floating OWC—Prototype Development and Evaluation	Wavegen	1 January 2003	31 July 2004	67,820
V/06/00202/00/00	Near Shore Floating OWC—Power Take—Off System	Wavegen	1 January 2003	30 June 2005	131,500

DTI is not aware of any wave power device called superbouy". However, DTI has funded a project concerning a device called Sperboy" carried out by the University of Plymouth. This was: V/06/00190/00/00, Prolongation of Deployment and Monitoring of 'SPERBOY' Wave Energy Device. Details of this project are included in the table.

Wind Turbines

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment procedures he has established for applications for grant-aided wind turbine projects to ensure their viability in terms of electricity generation. [42325]

Malcolm Wicks: Grants given under the Clear Skies Programme stipulate that approved products are used and that these meet relevant product regulation guidelines. Further details can be obtained from the Clear Skies website at www.clear-skies.org.

Applications are assessed on their technical merit but it is for the customer to decide whether evidence of performance and payback period is acceptable.

Many customers install renewable technologies as their individual environmental commitment and although concerned with economic viability this is not their overriding driver when choosing to install a renewable technology.

Stringent criteria were used to assess all project applications made under the offshore wind capital grants programme.

Mr. Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria in terms of minimum electricity generation are set by his Department for grant-aided wind turbine projects on domestic properties. [42326]

 
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Malcolm Wicks: Under the Clear Skies Programme, which offers grants for the installation of domestic wind turbines, the turbines must have a minimum output of 500w at a wind speed of 12m per second.

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