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6 Feb 2008 : Column 1198W—continued
Imports: Natural Gas
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform from which countries the UK imported natural gas in 2007; and what the percentage of total natural gas imports was made from each. [184576]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 5 February 2008]: Data for the whole of 2007 are not yet available. The following table gives data for the 11 months to November 2007.
| From | 2007 (TWh) | Percentage share 2007 |
| (1) Physical (as opposed to contractual) flows through the Bacton-Zeebrugge Interconnector. (2) Via the Balgzand-Bacton Line (BBL). (3) Via the Langeled and Vesterled pipelines, and Tampen Link (from Statfjord to FLAGS). (4) Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) from Algeria, Egypt, Qatar and Trinidad and Tobago to the Isle of Grain and Gasport Teesside LNG terminals. | ||
It is not possible to identify the countries of origin of the gas physically received from the Netherlands and Belgium. However, it is believed that the majority of the gas received from the Netherlands is sourced from the Dutch sector of the North Sea and the majority of the gas from Belgium is sourced from Norway via Zeepipe which terminates at Zeebrugge.
Data for the whole of 2007 are due to be published on BERR's website in Energy Trends monthly table 4.3 on 28 February 2008.
Imports: Oil
Mr. Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform from which countries the UK imported oil in 2007; and what the percentage of total oil imports was made from each. [184575]
Malcolm Wicks [holding answer 5 February 2008]: Data for the whole of 2007 are not yet available. The following table shows imports into the UK of crude oil by country of origin during the eleven months to November 2007.
In the 11 months to November 2007 total imports of crude oil into the UK were 46 million tonnes, with Norway accounting for over half (55 per cent.).
| Imports of crude oil into the UK by country | ||
| Million tonnes | ||
| January to November 2007( 1) | ||
| Country of origin | Total Crude Oil Imports | Percentage of total crude oil imports |
| (1) Data are provisional and are subject to change Source: Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform | ||
Industrial Health and Safety: Fuels
Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what new (a) advice and (b) regulatory arrangements have been implemented by the Health and Safety Executive in respect of (i) liquid natural gas storage and transfer planning applications and (ii) biodiesel production and storage planning applications following the Buncefield explosion and fire; and if he will make a statement. [179242]
Mrs. McGuire: I have been asked to reply.
As liquefied natural gas and biodiesel were not stored or involved in the incident at Buncefield, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has not made any regulatory arrangements or provided advice as a direct result of the fire and explosion.
Unrelated to the Buncefield incident HSE has recently issued a warning and guidance to its staff about the domestic production of biodiesel. This is available on the HSE: website at http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/biodiesel.htm
Generally, HSE does revise its land use planning advice for sites storing or intending to store dangerous substances on the basis of new science and evidence arising from incidents worldwide.
Natural Gas: Prices
Robert Neill: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the likely maximum (a) percentage and (b) cash differences in gas prices in each region which will result from regional pricing. [184661]
Malcolm Wicks: No estimates have been made by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform regarding the regional price differentials that will arise from the most recent (January 2008) announcements regarding regional pricing. Some companies already employ regional gas prices, one company will commence regional gas prices from January 2008, while others have continued with national pricing polices. The effect of this can be seen in table 2.3.3 of ‘Quarterly Energy Prices’, the latest version of which is accessible online at:
Developments due to the latest announcements will continue to be monitored.
Post Office
Miss McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many people living in the Vale of York he estimates will be resident more than three miles away from a post office once the restructuring of the Post Office is completed. [184017]
Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Post Office: Expenditure
Michael Jabez Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the total expenditure was by Post Office Ltd. on the post office network, excluding Crown offices, in the last financial year; what the estimated expenditure is for this financial year, broken down by (a) payments to local providers and (b) central infrastructure costs of the payments to local providers; how much is expected to be spent on (i) salaries and (ii) commissions; and if he will break down by standard accountancy heading the central infrastructure costs in each financial year. [184462]
Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, managing director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Post Office: Yorkshire and the Humber
Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will place in the Library the summaries of responses to the Post Office’s Area Plan Proposal for North Yorkshire with Yorkshire East and Keighley given by Post Office Ltd to Postwatch at the Day 92 meeting on the plan. [178829]
Mr. McFadden [holding answer 30 January 2008]: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Post Offices: Closures
Sir Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many submissions were received by Post Office Ltd. to its consultation on proposed post office closures in Leicester. [184168]
Mr. McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.
Public Participation
Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the implementation of his Department's guidelines on public consultations. [184603]
Mr. McFadden:
The code of practice on consultation is embedded in the policymaking processes of the Government. Rates of compliance are high, for example, since the launch of the code of practice between 75 and 80 per cent. of Government consultations have lasted at least 12 weeks as recommended in the code of practice.
In response to the Government's recent review of the code, many regular respondents to Government consultations stated that the introduction of a code of practice on consultation had led to an improvement in the quality of Government consultation exercises.
Regional Development Agencies: Managers
Mr. Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many board members of each regional development agency have made a declaration of political activity that involved activity in relation to (a) the Conservative Party, (b) the Labour Party and (c) the Liberal Democrat party. [178889]
Mr. McFadden: The breakdown of declared political activity of board members for the eight regions (excluding London, which is the responsibility of the Mayor) is as follows:
| Breakdown | |
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