| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
Lord Rooker: My Lords, I do not propose to discuss any individual case on the Floor of the House; it would be wholly improper to do so. The noble Lord chose to link his Question with a letter that was received recently. The noble Lord's Question makes a highly selective quote from the letter; it misses out the word Xactivities" in the phrase,
- Xactivities in opposing the government of a friendly country".
Lord Avebury: My Lords, I take grave exception to the accusation that the noble Lord made across the Floor of the House. I ask him to reply to the request that I made on 2nd November, which was to meet me and discuss this matter in more detail than we can do on the Floor of the House.
Lord Rooker: My Lords, I am happy to meet any noble Lord or, more particularly, any Member of the other place regarding their constituents—I sometimes have to cancel or postpone appointments. If there is still a case to be met, fine; but I did not raise it and do not want to discuss the details on the Floor of the House.
Wind Turbines and Low-flying Aircraft
2.46 p.m.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire asked Her Majesty's Government:
- What conclusions the Ministry of Defence has now reached on the potential interference caused by wind farms to low-flying aircraft.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Lord Bach): My Lords, it was realised some time ago that the proliferation of tall obstacles might present a hazard to low-flying aircraft within certain areas of the United Kingdom. It is generally acknowledged that the rotating action of wind turbine blades can interfere with radar systems. The Department of Trade and Industry is therefore sponsoring research by QinetiQ into the effects of wind turbines on radar. The project started in September this year and is due to conclude next September.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that Answer. I am sure that he is aware that the DTI is in the process of preparing a paper on the greater use of renewable energy. The intention is that the expansion of wind energy will very much be part of what this country needs to do. Will he reassure us that we have joined-up government in this respect;
that the DTI and the MoD are not at cross purposes; and that the actions of the CAA—the national air traffic centre—and the MoD, in vetting planning proposals, are not cutting across each other or causing costly delays? Can we also have some assurance about consultation with other governments? The Danes seem to manage with a very much larger number of wind turbines without these problems, as do the Germans. The Spanish, the noble Lord may be aware, are even proposing to fuel some of their airports through nearby turbines. Either we have something to tell them or they have something to tell us.
Lord Bach: My Lords, I confirm that there is complete joined-up thinking so far as these matters are concerned. My department is working closely with the DTI and has met the Performance and Innovation Unit of the Cabinet Office. The Government—including, of course, the Ministry of Defence—fully support the notion that 10 per cent of the United Kingdom's energy needs should come from renewable sources by 2010.
Lord Campbell-Savours: My Lords, what about physical interference? Have there been any near misses?
Lord Bach: My Lords, I know of no near misses. I shall undertake research and write to my noble friend if there have been any. I think not.
Lord Harrison: My Lords, can greater public access be afforded to the MoD estate? How might that be achieved?
Lord Bach: My Lords, there is already a presumption in favour of public access to the rural estate, although operational safety and conservation interests, for example, restrict unlimited access. I take this opportunity to tell my noble friend that there has been a publication within the past couple of days; I hold it up—
Lord Bach: My Lords, I am not to do so. It is entitled Walks on Ministry of Defence Lands. It covers various walks in parts of the country from which I know noble Lords come. I shall make sure that a copy of the book—or more than one—is available in the Library.
Lord Howell of Guildford: My Lords, being allergic to intrusive land-based wind farms and, indeed, to too many low-flying aircraft—but not to walks—perhaps I may ask the Minister to assure the House that those two activities will, to some extent, restrain each other. I recognise that both are important. However, carried out to the extent to which they are in some parts of the country, both activities are thoroughly unpleasant environmentally and cause misery to many people.
Lord Bach: My Lords, the noble Lord has my assurance on that matter.
Viscount Brookeborough: My Lords, does the Minister not agree that making wind farms radar-friendly to our own aircraft should be purely for training purposes? Is it not more important to put increased resources into radar innovations to enable our Armed Forces to cope with any problems associated with wind farms which are not modified—ours may be modified in the future—in areas where those forces may be on operations?
Lord Bach: My Lords, the noble Viscount uses the phrase, Xpurely for training purposes". The House may think that badly phrased. Training is of crucial importance if our pilots are to do their job, both at home and abroad. As regards the second part of the noble Viscount's question, I believe that the project sponsored by the Department of Trade and Industry will come up with the result.
Lord Ezra: My Lords, the noble Lord referred to the Government's objective of 10 per cent of renewables by the year 2010. If that is to be achieved, there has to be a massive expansion of wind farms. We lag way behind our continental friends. In Germany, for example, there are nearly 7,000 megawatts of wind energy; we have only 400 megawatts, which is largely onshore. Unless the offshore question is settled quickly, we shall have no chance of achieving the Government's objectives.
Lord Bach: My Lords, the noble Lord is right. We must all work extremely hard to ensure that those objectives are achieved. That means that we shall need more wind farms. The Ministry of Defence is not opposed to wind farms per se; only when they cut across what is necessary for the defence of the realm.
Baroness O'Cathain: My Lords, bearing in mind that we shall try to meet the Kyoto obligations or targets, is it not true that the issue is not solely concerned with wind farms and that the whole problem could be resolved by more nuclear power development?
Lord Bach: My Lords, the House will forgive me if I do not enter into that particular exchange.
Lord Wallace of Saltaire: My Lords, can the Minister confirm that the objections by the Ministry of Defence relate also to offshore wind farms and not simply to onshore wind farms? Offshore wind farms are one of the areas in which we had hoped there would be considerable expansion of wind power.
Lord Bach: My Lords, there is no objection as such, whether to onshore or offshore wind farms. The matter will depend on whether they affect our ability to train our pilots.
Farm Licensing
2.53 p.m.
Baroness Byford asked Her Majesty's Government:
- Whether they plan to introduce a licensing scheme for farmers.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): My Lords, there are no plans at this point, but registration, whole farm certification and various forms of licensing are among the many options which the Government and the policy commission will need to consider to help to build a sustainable, modern farming industry. No decisions will be taken before we have received the recommendations of the policy commission or without full consultation with all interested parties.
Baroness Byford: My Lords, I thank the Minister for that response. However, I am slightly mystified by it. Only about 10 days ago he was reported in the press as having said that the Government were considering the whole question of licensing.
Perhaps I may declare a family interest in farming, yet again. If the Government are considering licensing farms, who will be responsible for that? Will it be local government, central government or will one person cover all aspects? How will that happen? Will the Government also review the existing regulations and take great care not to impose more regulations on our farmers and horticulturists than are borne by other countries, thus exporting our important food and farming industry?
Lord Whitty: My Lords, I am sorry that the noble Baroness was mystified by slightly misleading reports in the press. As I said in my Answer, the Government and the policy commission will consider various options for bringing together the many regulations which presently impact on farmers in the way she mentioned. There could be benefit to farmers in having a form of whole farm certification, dealing with a number of inspectorates at the same time, and pulling together many of the regulations which are presently a burden on farmers. Whether that will amount to full registration or to a licensing system is a second-order question and one which the policy commission and the Government will need to consider. We are certainly not at the point of announcing that we are committed to any form of policy on that matter. A considerable amount of work is needed before I could say how such a system would be administered, were we to go down that road.
Next Section
Back to Table of Contents
Lords Hansard Home Page