---

9 Feb 2006 : Column 1375W—continued

North Sea Energy Reserves

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with the Norwegian Government regarding North sea energy reserves; and if he will make a statement. [49644]

Malcolm Wicks: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has had no such discussions. However, I have met the Norwegian Energy Minister on three occasions—on 26 October 2005, 31 November 2005 and 2 February 2006. We discussed
 
9 Feb 2006 : Column 1376W
 
a wide range of energy related issues including matters relating to the recovery of North sea oil and gas resources and carbon capture and storage.

Officials from the Department of Trade and Industry also regularly meet their counterparts in the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate and the Norwegian Ministry of Petroleum and Energy to discuss ways of maximising the economic recovery of hydrocarbons from the North sea. This includes the review of future exploration, appraisal and development activities in both countries.

Since the beginning of 2005, co-operation between UK and Norwegian Governments have resulted in the approval of six development projects involving Norway, including the construction of the Langeled pipeline to Easington in Yorkshire and the redevelopment of the transboundary Statfjord field. The Langeled pipeline, which is due to deliver gas to the UK later this year, will also deliver gas from the Norwegian Ormen Lange field when the field begins production in 2007. New pipeline infrastructure will also be built as part of the Statfjord redevelopment and will provide further capacity to deliver gas from major new gas reserves being developed on the Norwegian Continental Shelf.

Nuclear Power

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the future of nuclear power. [44054]

Malcolm Wicks: Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry nor I have had recent discussions with the Welsh Assembly Government which relate specifically to the future of nuclear power.

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much it cost to dispose of spent nuclear fuel in Wales from the (a) Trawsfynydd and (b) Wylfa nuclear power plants in each year since they were built; and if he will make a statement. [49742]

Malcolm Wicks: It is not current UK policy to dispose of spent nuclear fuel and therefore no costs have been incurred to dispose of spent nuclear fuel in Wales.

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent from public funds on (a) purchasing and (b) moving uranium for use in the (i) Trawsfynydd and (ii) Wylfa nuclear power plants in each year since they were built; and if he will make a statement. [49743]

Malcolm Wicks: Until the creation of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on 1 April 2005, the now decommissioning power station at Trawsfynydd and the operating nuclear station at Wylfa were owned by BNFL, Magnox Electric Ltd or its predecessors, during which time no public funds were spent on purchasing and moving uranium for use in the Trawsfynydd and Wylfa power plants. Operational costs were matched year on year by income from electricity generation.

Jenny Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been spent from public funds on (a) moving spent fuel out of Wales and (b) disposing of nuclear fuel from the (i) Trawsfynydd and (ii) Wylfa nuclear power plants in each year since they were built; and if he will make a statement. [49744]

 
9 Feb 2006 : Column 1377W
 

Malcolm Wicks: Until the creation of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority on 1 April 2005, the now decommissioning power station at Trawsfynydd and the operating nuclear station at Wylfa were owned by BNFL, Magnox Electric Ltd or its predecessors, during which time no public funds were spent on moving spent fuel out of Wales from the Trawsfynydd and Wylfa power plants. Operational costs were matched year on year by income from electricity generation.

It is not current UK policy to dispose of spent nuclear fuel and therefore no costs have been spent from public funds on disposing of nuclear fuel from Wales.

Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the timetable for planning the clean-up of ex-military and civil nuclear programmes; and which companies are advising him on the project. [50328]

Malcolm Wicks: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority assumed responsibility for the decommissioning and clean up of the UK's civil nuclear legacy on 1 April 2005. It now has responsibility for nuclear sites previously operated by UKAEA and BNFL. Its remit is to provide national strategic control and direction to deliver accelerated clean up at its sites whilst maintaining high standards of safety. The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has set out its proposed approach to the decommissioning and clean up of its sites in its draft Strategy. The Scottish Ministers and I have until 31 March to consider and approve the NDA's proposed Strategy. Further information is available on the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority website at www.nda.gov.uk

Parliamentary Questions

David T.C. Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will provide an answer to question 10236, on departmental expenditure, tabled by the hon. Member for Monmouth on 4 July 2005. [49837]

Alan Johnson: According to our database this question was answered on 21 July 2005 but, unfortunately did not find its way into the Official Report for that day. The answer was as follows:

Expenditure on advertising by my Department through COI for 2000/1, 2001/2, 2002/3, 2003/4 and 2004/5 was £6.1 million, £9.4million, £11.5million, £4.1 and £2million respectively. Figures include advertising by the Small Business Service and exclude VAT".

Press Complaints

Mr. Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions since 1 April 2003 he has complained to the Press Complaints Commission about the coverage in the press of (a) Ministers or officials and (b) his Department; and how many of these complaints were upheld. [47078]

Alan Johnson: The Department of Trade and Industry has not made any complaints to the Press Complaints Commission about press coverage of (a) Ministers or officials or (b) the Department since 1 April 2003.

Renewable Power

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the renewable power generated in England and Wales was accounted for by co-firing in 2004–05. [50779]

 
9 Feb 2006 : Column 1378W
 

Malcolm Wicks: In 2004, 7.2 percent. (or 1,022 GWh out of 14,171 GWh) of renewable power generation in the UK came from the co-firing of bio fuels. We do not have statistics for England and Wales only.

Information on electricity generated from renewable sources is published in the Digest Of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES). A copy of DUKES is available from the Libraries of the House.

Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to reduce surplus co-fired renewables obligation certificates; and what assessment he has made of the implications for (a) their market price, (b) co-firing and (c) carbon dioxide emissions. [50781]

Malcolm Wicks: Under the rules on co-firing within the renewables obligation, licensed electricity suppliers can meet up to 25 percent. (from 1 April 2006, this changes to 10 percent.) of their obligation by presenting renewables obligation certificates (ROCs) from co-fired generation.

Above this level, co-fired ROCs cannot be redeemed. For this reason, we would not expect the market to generate a significant number of surplus co-fired ROCs, and any surplus would only arise due to miscalculation on the part of electricity suppliers or co-firers.

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance is available to microgenerators in relation to the sale of renewables obligation certificates. [50284]

Malcolm Wicks: Sale of Renewable Obligation Certificates (ROCs) is a matter for the generator concerned. However, the Government does recognise the barriers that microgenerators may experience in accessing the benefits of the Renewables Obligation (RO) and intends to introduce several measures, through the Climate Change and Sustainable Energy Private Member's Bill, which will make this easier. In particular, allowing agents to act on behalf of small generators and to amalgamate output for several small generators as well as the removal of the need for a sell and buyback agreement. The detail of these changes will be set out in secondary legislation and subject to full consultation.

---