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27 Feb 2006 : Column 144W—continued
Westinghouse
Mr. Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has set a minimum price for the sale of Westinghouse. [50326]
Barry Gardiner
[holding answer 9 February 2006]: As announced to the House on 6 February 2006, Official Report, column 42WS BNFL that day signed a purchase and sale agreement with Toshiba to sell its US subsidiary Westinghouse for the sum of $5.4 billion. This is an excellent outcome for the UK taxpayer who stands to benefit from a return of around four times BNFL's original investment in the business. As widely reported in the media, the figure greatly exceeded expectations based on initial valuations of the businesses.
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Wind Farms
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much electricity was fed back from the grid to maintain the generators in use on wind farms across the UK in the last 12 months for which figures are available, expressed as a percentage of the power generated by such farms. [52743]
Malcolm Wicks: The Department does not hold information on the amount of electricity that has been fed back from the grid to maintain the generators in use on wind farms across the UK.
However, we estimate that the amount of power required to operate a wind farm is no more than ¼ per cent. of the total electricity generated by the wind farm.
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with potential developers of wind farms in the strategic search areas identified in the Welsh Assembly document Technical Advice Note 8. [52604]
Malcolm Wicks: Officials have had meetings with two developers to discuss the procedures for obtaining consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to construct wind farms in the areas identified in TAN 8. No such application has been made.
Mr. David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with (a) hon. Members and (b) Members of the Welsh Assembly on the application by npower renewables for consent to develop the Gwynt y Mor wind farm. [52606]
Malcolm Wicks: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State had an informal discussion at her request with the hon. Member for Conwy about process under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 which applies to applications for consent for generating stations such as wind farms. Ministers have had no discussions with Members of the Welsh Assembly Government.
Yemen
Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on Yemen's application to join the World Trade Organisation. [51386]
Ian Pearson: The UK supports the accession of Yemen to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) on the right terms. Drawing Yemen into the WTO would be an important means of opening the Yemeni economy to development and growth, reducing corruption and promoting the rule of law, all of which should help Yemen develop positively as a state.
WTO accession is neither a quick nor easy process, and Yemen is many years from achieving accession. The WTO Working Party set up in Geneva to handle Yemen's accession was established in July 2000, and has met twice, in November 2004 and October 2005.
Yemen receives UK-funded technical assistance for WTO accession via the UNCTAD Trust Fund on WTO Accessions. This provides support with the preparation of accession documentation and training for negotiators.
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TRANSPORT
A12 (Brentwood)
Mr. Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the contracted finish date was for the current stretch of road improvements on the A12 at Brentwood; and on what date they will be completed. [52065]
Dr. Ladyman: The contracted finish date for the road works on the A12 at Brentwood, otherwise known as the A12 Ingatestone scheme, was 8 March 2006.
The expected finishing date is now 13 March 2006. This extra period of time includes four days, because the work took longer than the contractor planned and one day for delay due to changes that were ordered for the work.
A303 (Countess Road Flyover)
Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what definition his Department uses of the term 'transport hotspot' in the Countess Road flyover proposal on the A303. [52149]
Dr. Ladyman: The Department does not have a definition of this term. The Countess Road flyover proposal is one of a number of schemes on the A303 designed to address congestion on this route.
A34 Newbury Bypass
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many road accidents have occurred on the A34 Newbury Bypass in the last five years; how many people have been (a) killed and (b) seriously injured in accidents on the bypass in this period; and what estimate he has made of the cost of these accidents in terms of delays. [52147]
Dr. Ladyman: Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2004 seven people were killed and 19 people were seriously injured in 18 incidents on the A34 Newbury Bypass.
We are not able to provide a meaningful estimate of the cost of the delays because there are no actual records of the number of vehicles indirectly involved in these accidents or the lengths of the delays.
Biofuels Directive
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress towards the targets in the European Union biofuels directive. [53790]
Dr. Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 22 February 2006, given to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) [UIN 51884].
Commercial Vehicle Registrations
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many commercial vehicle registrations there have been in each year since 1997. [53793]
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Dr. Ladyman: The information required is contained in the following table:
Source:
Transport Statistics Bulletin—Vehicle Licensing Statistics: 2004.
The licensing statistics 2005 are due for publication by the end of June 2006.
Convention on Driving Disqualification
Mr. Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the implementation of the 1998 convention on driving disqualification. [53792]
Dr. Ladyman: The 1998 convention on driving disqualifications was signed by the UK along with the then 14 other member states of the European Union. The necessary primary legislation to implement it in the UK formed part of the Crime (International Co-operation) Act 2003. At the same time, provision was made for Great Britain and Northern Ireland each to recognise driving disqualifications imposed in the other's jurisdiction.
On 9 February 2006, at a meeting of the British-Irish Council, I exchanged letters with the Irish Minister for Transport, stating our joint intention to proceed to apply the convention to recognise one another's driving disqualifications. My officials are working closely with those of the Northern Ireland and Ireland administrations to specify the details of such co-operation and to bring it into effect as soon as possible.
I am keen to see similar arrangements in place with other member states of the European Union.
Cycling
Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with train operating companies on encouraging greater use of bicycles by commuters; which train operating companies restrict the carrying of bicycles on trains; and if he will make a statement. [51676]
Derek Twigg:
Folding bicycles may be carried on all trains at all times, free of charge. However, non-folding bicycles may not be carried on London commuter trains during the Monday-Friday peak hours, when capacity is at a premium. This arrangement is common to all operators, although the exact time restriction may vary by route. Operators are encouraged to provide cycle facilities at stations and since 2004–05 the Department for Transport has funded around 2,900 additional new cycle parking spaces at stations across the rail network.
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