Examination of Witnesses (Questions 397-399)
MR ANDREW
PERRINS AND
MR MARTIN
JOHNSON
10 MAY 2006
Q397 Chairman: Good afternoon, ladies
and gentlemen. This is the final session of the Committee's inquiry
on renewable energies and the role particularly of bioenergy.
I am very glad to welcome representatives from the Treasury and
from Defra. Mr Johnson, what is your official title, for the record?
Mr Johnson: I am Head of the Transport
Taxes Branch of the Environment and Transport Team in the Treasury.
Q398 Chairman: That must mean, Mr Perrins,
that you are from Defra, and I think you are the Head of the Industrial
Crops Division; is that right?
Mr Perrins: Yes, sir.
Q399 Chairman: Splendid. You are
both very welcome and thank you for coming to give evidence to
the Committee. I would like, Mr Johnson, to start with you because
it would be helpful if you would say a few words about the strategic
context in which the Treasury sees the development of biofuels
and, if it does not embarrass you, can you give us any insight
as to whether any of your Treasury ministers have made any speeches
which help to contextualise the approach to the use of bioenergy?
Mr Johnson: First, thank you very
much for the invitation to the Committee. With regard to the strategic
context for the development of biofuels, what I would say is that
the Government has a very clear policy to reduce greenhouse gas
emissions. It has its Kyoto obligation and its domestic targets,
the 2010 targets, to reduce CO2 by 20% on 1990, and
the longer term goal in relation to 2050. You can break down the
economy into different sectors. Obviously, one of those is transport
which is responsible for about a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions
and the strategic context for the development of biofuels is very
much one of the key ways of reducing emissions from transport
over time.
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