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20 Oct 2006 : Column 1501W—continued
Low Carbon Buildings Programme
Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the funding in real terms will be for (a) solar photovoltaics and (b) all other microrenewable technologies under the Low Carbon Building Programme; and what the total funding was for each under the Clearskies and Solar Photovoltaics initiatives which preceded it. [91317]
Malcolm Wicks: The Low Carbon Buildings Programme Phase One, with a budget of £28.5 million, covers a range of technologies. Stream Two operated on a first come, first served basis, and Stream Two operates on a competitive basis.
Currently we do not earmark specific funding for the different technologies so it is not possible to state what the level of funding will be for solar photovoltaics compared to other renewable technologies. However, we will continue to review funding support going forward.
Under Clear Skies the total funding was £13.25 million and under the Major PV programme the total funding was £31.75 million. In addition, Phase Two of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, which is currently being finalised, will provide a further £50 million.
Microgeneration
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the technical changes that would need to be made to the national electricity distribution grid to accommodate the growth of micro-generation; and what estimate he has made of the cost of such changes. [93698]
Malcolm Wicks: A study carried out by the Energy Saving Trust on behalf of the DTI (Potential for Microgeneration: Study and Analysis) assessed the implications of substantial microgeneration on the UK electricity system. This built on an earlier study carried out for the DTI by Mott MacDonald (System Integration of Additional Microgeneration). The EST report suggests that, for relatively high export levels, the costs could be anywhere between £122 million and £240 million.
The Energy Review Report announced that the DTI and Ofgem will lead a review of the incentives and barriers to distributed electricity generation including CHP, which will report in the first half of 2007. Among other issues, this work will look at economic and other incentives on distributed network operators to connect new generators and to upgrade distribution networks in order to accommodate increasing amounts of distributed generation (including microgeneration).
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much public money was spent on microregeneration in each of the last 20 years; and what the projected budgets are for each of the next three years. [93765]
Malcolm Wicks: Government support towards the installation of microgeneration technologies began in 2000. Details of spend to date are as follows:
| Spend (£ million) | |
It is anticipated that the remaining £12.9 million from the legacy scheme budgets will be drawn down by March 2007.
Miners' Compensation
Mr. Skinner: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims for (a) miners' hearing loss, (b) vibration white finger and (c) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have been paid in Bolsover constituency in each of the last seven years. [95184]
Malcolm Wicks: The number of payments that have been made for miners hearing loss (NIHL), vibration white finger (VWF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) claims in the Bolsover constituency is shown in the following table:
| NIHL | VWF | COPD | |
Ministerial Visits
David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions he has visited (a) Scotland, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. [94955]
Mr. Darling: My predecessor and I have made the following visits as Secretaries of State to the Department of Trade and Industry on ministerial business in the last 12 months:
(a) Scotland—four
(b) Wales—none
(c) Northern Ireland—none
Nuclear Power
Mr. Jack: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which public bodies have submitted information to his Department indicating which existing nuclear power stations could be co-located with a further nuclear power station. [91377]
Malcolm Wicks: A number of responses were received to the Energy Review consultation from public bodies. These responses, and all others made during the consultation, are available on the Department’s website.
The consultation responses are available at www.dti.gov.uk/energv/review/consultation-submissions/page27883.html.
Dr. Whitehead: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what (a) primary and (b) secondary legislation is required to permit private companies to construct nuclear power plants. [94793]
Malcolm Wicks: Permission to construct onshore power stations of any type with a capacity of greater than 50 MW is granted by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.
Oil Industry
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the UK’s Compulsory Stocking Obligations for crude oil and refined products were held overseas through bilateral agreements in 2005; and with which countries the UK has a bilateral agreement on Compulsory Stocking Obligations for crude oil and refined products. [95079]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 19 October 2006]: At 31 December 2005 the UK held 12.3 million tonnes equivalent of crude oil and refined products towards its oil stocking obligations of 11.3 million tonnes. Of this, 1.7 million tonnes, or some 15 per cent., were held overseas under bilateral agreements.
The UK has formal bilateral agreements with Ireland, Sweden and the Netherlands. We have negotiated a formal agreement with Denmark which will be signed later this year, and are negotiating formal agreements with Finland and Belgium. We also have informal agreements with Belgium and France.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the costs to (a) UK oil refiners, (b) fuel suppliers delivering above 100,000 tonnes and (c) consumers of fuel of the removal of the UK derogation on the compulsory stocking obligation provided by EU Directive 2006/67/EC. [95384]
Malcolm Wicks:
EU member states are required to hold oil stocks equal to 90 days’ consumption, for use in the event of disruption of global oil supplies. The UK, as a producer, has a derogation reducing its obligation by 25 per cent. and therefore currently has an obligation to hold stocks equal to 67.5 days’ consumption. As UK production declines, the derogation will be phased out. This will be a gradual process. We expect the full 25 per cent. derogation to continue until UK crude oil production falls below 25 per cent. of refinery demand, which on current trends will be between 2010 and 2015, and the full 90 days’ obligation to be reached when UK production ends. We have not estimated the precise cost to the parties mentioned, but the overall cost of complying with the obligation will increase over time by some
33 per cent. and following a public consultation we are working with industry on a new basis for our stocking system which will ensure that the UK can continue to meet its obligations in future.
Mr. Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what effect the UK’s status as a net importer of crude oil has on the UK derogation on the compulsory stocking obligation provided by EU Directive 2006/67/EC; and when he expects the derogation to be removed. [95472]
Malcolm Wicks: The UK derogation reducing by 25 per cent. its EU obligation to hold oil stocks for use in the event of disruption of global oil supplies is based on its status as a producer, not as a net exporter. We expect the full derogation to continue until UK crude oil production falls below 25 per cent. of refinery demand, which on current trends will be between 2010 and 2015, and the full 90 days’ obligation to be reached when UK production ends.
Once we become a net importer of crude oil and oil products combined the UK will also have an obligation to hold stocks as a member of the International Energy Agency. Countries with EU and IEA obligations can use the same stocks to meet both obligations. EU obligations are based on consumption and IEA obligations on net imports, and meeting both obligations will not involve a net increase beyond the increase in the EU obligation until towards the end of UK production.
Peterborough Renewable Energy Ltd
Mr. Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the public inquiry into Peterborough Renewable Energy Ltd’s plans for a sustainable resource and recycling facility at land off Storeys Bar road in Peterborough to take place; and if he will make a statement. [93822]
Malcolm Wicks: Arrangements for the public inquiry are in hand and the details will be announced as soon as they are finalised.
Radioacrive Waste
Mr. Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria he plans to use to calculate the full share of costs incurred to manage radioactive waste arising from prospective new build reactors in order to recover these costs from the operators. [94227]
Malcolm Wicks: The final report of the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management was published on 31 July 2006. The Government and Devolved Administrations will respond in a formal statement to Parliament, setting out how work to manage long-term waste will be taken forward. The long-term waste management solution developed by Government will factor in waste from new build including an assessment of how new build waste would affect the cost of delivering the national waste management solution.
The Energy Review Report 'The Energy Challenge', presented to Parliament on 11 July 2006, established that private developers of new nuclear power stations will meet their full share of long-term waste management costs. The Government intend to appoint an individual with senior management or financial experience of major
capital investment projects to lead the development of arrangements for the costs associated with new build waste management.
Renewable Energy
Mr. Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the UK’s electricity is produced from renewable energy sources. [95719]
Malcolm Wicks: In 2005 the amount of renewable generation from sources eligible under the renewables obligation was 4 per cent. and for all renewable sources the figure was 4.22 per cent.
Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much Government spent on renewables in each of the last 20 years; and what estimate he has made of the level of private investment in renewables over the same period. [93785]
Malcolm Wicks: It would entail disproportionate cost to identify how much was spent by Government on research, grants and subsidies to promote renewable energy in each of the last 20 years. However, the Government are investing around £500 million between 2002 and 2008 in capital grants, research and development into renewables and other low carbon technologies. Money that has already been allocated includes: £117 million in capital grants for round 1 offshore wind farms; approximately £66 million for biomass capital grants; £31 million for Solar PV; around £19 million a year for industry-led R and D and over £50 million for Marine Renewables, £42 million of which has been earmarked to kick start the construction of large scale demonstration wave and tidal demonstration projects around the UK.
It should be added that the Chancellor announced in this year’s Budget a further £50 million, on top of the £30 million that I had previously announced, for the Low Carbon Building Programme, which supports microgeneration and energy efficiency measures.
A breakdown of the spend on renewables each year from 1990-91 is however available. I refer the hon. Member to my reply on 12 September 2005, Official Report, column 2262W to the hon. Member for Leominster (Bill Wiggin).
With regard to private investment in renewables over the 20 year period, the Government have made no estimate.
Sustainable Buildings
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Low Carbon Buildings Programme budget is for household installations in 2006-07; and how much of that year's funding has been allocated. [94376]
Malcolm Wicks: The budget for year one of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme household stream is £3.5 million. To date, £3.56 million has been committed to successful projects on the basis that past experience leads us to believe that not all these projects will go forward as expected.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to ensure that the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme is able to meet demand for grants. [94377]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 17 October 2006]: Under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme, we have currently committed £3.5 million towards 1,948 projects.
We are aware that demand has been higher than anticipated, and are reviewing the funding available for the household stream going forward.
Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Low Carbon Buildings Programme budget for household installations is in (a) 2007-08 and (b) 2008-09. [94378]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 17 October 2006]: The budgets for the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme in years two and three are as follows:
| Budget (£ million) | |
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