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Millennium Dome

Baroness Hanham asked Her Majesty's Government:

When they expect to bring to a conclusion the lease deal for the Millennium Dome negotiated with Meridian Delta.[HL4372]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: I am pleased to announce that English Partnerships (EP) and Meridian Delta Ltd (MDL) have signed today a binding legal agreement.

The agreement is for the long-term development of 189 acres of land on the Greenwich peninsula over a period ending in 2025, including delivery of a long-term use for the dome as a major entertainment and sports arena and associated uses.

I refer the noble Baroness to the Statement I have made today which provides further details of the deal.

Local e-government: Interoperability

The Earl of Northesk asked Her Majesty's Government:

What progress is being made to achieve interoperability between the e-procurement systems of local authorities generally, and with particular reference to London borough councils; and[HL4429]

To what extent there is co-ordination between central government, the London mayoralty and London's local authorities in establishing interoperability between their respective e-procurement systems.[HL4430]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: We have announced in our draft national strategy on local e-government, e-gov@local: towards a national strategy for local e-government, which was published for consultation on 8 April 2002, that we are establishing in partnership with local government a national project on e-procurement.

It is currently anticipated that this project will develop process models for local authorities implementing e-procurement, produce an e-tendering package and assist in the developing of regional e-purchasing consortia. It is being informed by the work of three pathfinder projects at Huntingdonshire, Leeds and LB of Newham, which have been funded by our Local Government Online programme.

It is too early in the development of the national project to say what work will be undertaken on interoperability. However, the development of technical standards which aid interoperability across local government on e-procurement—as elsewhere on the development of e-government—is a key strategic issue.

Any e-procurement standards which are produced for local government will work within the e-Government Interoperability Framework (e-GIF). This sets out the Government's technical policies and

29 May 2002 : Column WA156

specifications for achieving interoperability across the whole public sector. The national project will also work with the Office of Government Commerce and the Office of the e-Envoy to investigate the desirability and feasibility of adopting specific e-procurement standards across the public sector.

Local Government: Best Value

Lord Jones asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their policy on matters relating to best value in local government.[HL4488]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Through best value, the Government are committed to encouraging authorities to secure continuous improvement in the quality of local public services. The Local Government White Paper, Strong Leadership—Quality Public Services (CM5237), sets out our proposals to build on the success of Best Value and develop a comprehensive framework of standards and accountability for local government in England.

Electoral Fraud

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they consider that the traditional twin safeguards against electoral fraud, of requiring an elector to vote in person and in secret, should still apply; and, if so, how they will be enforced under universal postal voting, Internet voting or text phone voting.[HL4509]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: We are fully committed to ensuring that new ways of voting do not undermine citizens' ability to vote in person and in secret. Nor do we intend to deny the right to vote to those who for various reasons are unable to attend a polling station or find it more convenient to vote by other means. However, it is premature to provide details of how future arrangements might work. To reach that point, we will require further pilot schemes and evaluation, supported by research. We will only proceed with voting methods that are proven to work satisfactorily and that maintain the integrity of the ballot.

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

In announcing that the Electoral Commission's evaluation exercise into the 30 electoral pilots which took place on 2 May will look at whether or not the pilots "maintain or increase the level of security at elections", what they mean by "security at elections".[HL4512]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: By "security at elections" we mean that new methods of voting should maintain the integrity and secrecy of the ballot and provide safeguards against those who may attempt to commit electoral fraud.

29 May 2002 : Column WA157

Regional Assemblies: Influence

Lord Greaves asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Falconer of Thoroton on 21 May (WA 87) that "regional assemblies will have influence over a range of public bodies" including the Learning and Skills Council, the Strategic Railways Authority and the Environmental Agency among others, what they mean by "influence"; and how this influence will be exercised.[HL4513]

Lord Falconer of Thoroton: Chapter 4 of the White Paper Your Region, Your Choice, at paragraph 4.17,

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sets out the nature and extent of elected regional assemblies' influencing role.

Scotland: Generating Stations

The Earl of Mar and Kellie asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will list all the significant power generating stations with their fuel sources in Scotland. [HL4135]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: A list of all power generating stations in Scotland with installed capacity in excess of 1 Megawatt, and identifying their fuel sources, is provided below.

Company name	Station name	Fuel	Installed Capacity (MW)	Year of Commission or year generation began
British Energy	Hunterston B	nuclear	1,190	1976
	Torness	nuclear	1,250	1988
BNFL Magnox	Chapelcross	nuclear	196	1959
Fife Power	Westfield Development Centre	CCGT	75	1998
Scottish & Southern Energy plc Schemes:
Affric/Beauly	Mullardoch Tunnel	hydro	2.4	1955
	Fasnakyle	hydro	69	1951
	Deanie	hydro	38	1963
	Culligran	hydro	24	1962
	Aigas	hydro	20	1962
	Kilmorack	hydro	20	1962
Breadalbane	Lubreoch	hydro	4	1958
	Cashlie	hydro	11	1959
	Lochay	hydro	47	1958
	Finlarig	hydro	30	1955
	Lednock	hydro	3	1961
	St Fillans	hydro	21	1957
	Dalchonzie	hydro	4	1958
Conon	Achanalt	hydro	3	1956
	Grudie Bridge	hydro	24	1950
	Mossford	hydro	24	1957
	Luichart	hydro	34	1954
	Orrin	hydro	18	1959
	Torr Achilty	hydro	15	1954
Foyers	Foyers	hydro/pumped storage	300	1974
Great Glen	Foyers Falls	hydro	5.2	1968
	Mucomir	hydro	2	1962
	Ceannacroc	hydro	20	1956
	Livishie	hydro	15	1962
	Glenmoriston	hydro	37	1957
	Quoich	hydro	22	1955
	Invergarry	hydro	20	1956
Shin	Cassley	hydro	10	1959
	Lairg	hydro	3.5	1959
	Shin	hydro	24	1958
Sloy/Awe	Sloy	hydro	160	1950
	Sron Mor	hydro	5	1957
	Clachan	hydro	40	1955
	Alt-na-Lairgie	hydro	6	1956
	Nant	hydro	15	1963
	Inverawe	hydro	25	1963
	Kilmelfort	hydro	2	1956
	Loch Gair	hydro	6	1961
	Lussa	hydro	2.4	1952
	Striven	hydro	8	1951
Tummel	Gaur	hydro	6.4	1953
	Cuaich	hydro	2.5	1959
	Loch Ericht	hydro	2.2	1962
	Rannoch	hydro	42	1930
	Tummel	hydro	34	1933
	Errochty	hydro	75	1955
	Clunie	hydro	61.2	1950
	Pitlochry	hydro	15	1950
Small Hydros	Chliostair	hydro	1.1	1960
	Kerry Falls	hydro	1.3	1951
	Loch Dubh	hydro	1.2	1954
	Nostle Bridge	hydro	1.3	1950
	Storr Lochs	hydro	2.4	1952
Thermal	Peterhead	oil/gas	1,550	1980
	Lerwick	diesel/gas	66	1953
Scottish Power	Cockenzie	coal	1,152	1967
	Longannet	coal	2,304	1970
	Methil	coal slurry	57	1965
	Galloway (6 stations)	hydro	106	1935
	Lanark (2 stations)	hydro	17	1927
	Cruachan	pumped storage	399	1966

29 May 2002 : Column WA159

The Earl of Mar and Kellie asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their policy on hydro-generation and the creation of more hydro schemes in Scotland.[HL4136]

Lord McIntosh of Haringey: Electricity generation from hydro and from other renewable sources makes an important contribution to achieving the Government's objectives for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The Renewables Obligation and the Renewables Obligation (Scotland) impose requirements on electricity supply companies to supply an increasing proportion of their energy from renewable sources. The responsibility for determining applications for consent under the Electricity Acts for power station developments in Scotland and for planning legislation in Scotland are both devolved to the Scottish Executive.

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