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European Union: Forthcoming Council Business

Lord Brookman asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for February; and what are the major European Union events for the period between 1 March and 31 August 2003.[HL1484]

6 Feb 2003 : Column WA50

The Minister for Trade (Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean): Forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union, February 2003 to August 2003:

February

5—Brussels—Meeting of the Presidium

6–7—Brussels—Convention Plenary

10–11—Brussels—Agriculture & Fisheries Council

13—Brussels—Meeting of the Presidium

17—Brussels—EUROGROUP (evening)

18—Brussels—ECOFIN

20—Brussels—Education Youth & Culture Council (to be confirmed)

22—Thessaloniki—Energy Council (Ministerial Informal)

24–25—Brussels—General Affairs & External Relations Council

24–25—Brussels—Agriculture & Fisheries Council

26—Brussels—Meeting of the Presidium

27–28—Brussels—Convention Plenary

27–28—Brussels—Justice & Home Affairs Council

28—Brussels—Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council

Date	Location	Event
March
1–2	Athens	Informal Education
3	Brussels	Competitiveness Council
4	Brussels	Environment Council
6	Brussels	Meeting of the Presidium
6	Luxembourg	Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council
6	Luxembourg	EUROGROUP (evening)
7	Luxembourg	ECOFIN
7	Luxembourg	Transport, Telecom & Energy Council
13	Brussels	Meeting of the Presidium
14–15	Athens	(Informal Defence Meeting)
17–18	Brussels	Convention Plenary
17–18	Luxembourg	Agriculture & Fisheries Council
18–19	Luxembourg	General Affairs & External Relations Council
21	Brussels	European Council
27	Brussels	Meeting of the Presidium
27–28	Luxembourg	Transport, Telecom & Energy Council)
27–28	Athens	EU-Rio Group, EU-MERCOSUR
28–29	Veria	Informal Justice & Home Affairs (Veria)
31	Brussels	Agriculture & Fisheries Council
(to be confirmed)
April
2	Brussels	Meeting of the Presidium
3–4	Brussels	Convention Plenary
4	Brussels	Justice & Home Affairs
4–6	Hania (Crete)	Informal ECOFIN (Ministerial)
5	Lisbon	Europe—Africa Summit
10	Brussels	Meeting of the Presidium
14–15	Luxembourg	General Affairs & External Relations
14	Brussels	Agriculture & Fisheries
16	Athens	Signature of the Accession Treaty
17	Athens	European Conference
23	Brussels	Meeting of the Presidium
24–25	Brussels	Convention Plenary
May
2–4	Olympia	Gymnich (Informal Foreign Ministers)
3–4	Athens	Informal Environment (Ministerial Informal)
5–6	Brussels	Education, Youth & Culture Council (To be confirmed)
8	Brussels	Meeting of the Presidium
10–13	Corfu	Agriculture (Ministerial Informal)
12–13	Brussels	Competitiveness
12	Brussels	EUROGROUP
13	Brussels	ECOFIN
14	Brussels	Meeting of the Presidium
14	Brussels	Transport, Telecom & Energy Council
15–16	Brussels	Convention Plenary
16	Brussels	EU–ACP Ministerial
16–17	Halkidiki	Informal Regional Policy (Ministerial)
16–18	Cruise off Greece	Informal Transport & Merchant Marine (Ministerial)
17	Brussels	EU–W. Balkans (Zagreb Process)
19	Brussels	General Affairs & External Relations (+ Defence)
20	Brussels	General Affairs & External Relations
22	Brussels	Meeting of the Presidium
24	Thessaloniki	Informal Culture (Ministerial)
26–27	Brussels	Agriculture & Fisheries Council
26–27	Crete	EUROMED Conference (Mid Term Ministerial)
27	Brussels	Environment Council
28	Brussels	Meeting of the Presidium
30–31	Brussels	Convention Plenary
31	St. Petersburg	EU–Russia Summit
June
2	Brussels	EUROGROUP
12–13	Alexandroupoli	Development Co-operation (Ministerial Informal)
2–3	Brussels	Transport, Telecom & Energy Council
3	Brussels	ECOFIN
4	Brussels	Meeting of the Presidium
5–6	Brussels	Convention Plenary
5–6	Brussels	Justice & Home Affairs Council
5–6	Brussels	Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council
6	Rhodes	Public Administration (Ministerial Informal)
11	Brussels	Meeting of the Presidium
11–12	Brussels	Agriculture & Fisheries Council
12–13	Brussels	Convention Plenary
17–18	Luxembourg	General Affairs & External Relations
20	Halkidiki	European Council
21	Halkidiki	Zagreb II Summit
22	Brussels	General Affairs & External Relations
24	Brussels	Employment, Social Policy, Health & Consumer Affairs Council
July
2–3	Rome	Research (Ministerial Informal)
4–5	Naples	Transport Infrastructure (Ministerial Informal)
6	Brussels	Trade (Ministerial Informal)
10	Varese	Informal Council/Troika
11–12	Varese	Informal Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs
15–16	Brussels	ECOFIN
11–12	Varese	Informal Council of Ministers of Labour and Social Affairs
15–16	Brussels	ECOFIN
17–18	Treviso	EU Employment Committee (Informal)
18–20	Montecatini	Energy & Environment (Ministerial Informal)
22–23	Brussels	Agriculture & Fisheries Council
22	Brussels	General Affairs & External Relations
24–25	Milan	European Conference on Discrimination
25–26	Verona	Education (Ministerial Informal)
August	No meetings planned

6 Feb 2003 : Column WA52

Wales: Hydroelectricity Generation

Lord Carlile of Berriew asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their policy in relation to the use of water for the generation of electricity in Wales. [HL1333]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): The Government's policy is to maximise the contribution that hydrogeneration, and indeed all forms of renewable energy, can make to electricity production in Wales and more widely in the UK. Generating stations eligible under the Renewables Obligation include very small hydro stations of 1.25 MW DNC or less and also stations between 1.25 MW DNC and 20MW DNC commissioned before 1 January 1990, provided that they have been refurbished after that date. Output from such stations is eligible for renewable obligation certificates.

Under its renewable energy programme, the DTI is providing funding of up to £1.6 million to a Pembrokeshire-based company, Tidal Hydraulic Generators, to develop tidal-stream technology.

The Government will shortly be publishing an energy White Paper which will include the role of renewable energy in a low-carbon economy.

Fertility Clinics

Lord Alton of Liverpool asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Hunt of Kings Heath on 16 January (WA 60), what clinics have had funding made available to them from the Medical Research Council (MRC), or have applied for such MRC funding, to enable them to employ nurse co-ordinators to counsel couples on the donation of their embryos for research purposes. [HL1369]

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: I refer the noble Lord to the Answer given by my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in another place on 15 January, Official Report, col 644W–646W.

6 Feb 2003 : Column WA53

RSPCA: Comments on BBC Coventry, 13 March 2002

Lord Mancroft asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs has taken into account concerns expressed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals in relation to the use of firearms to kill wild animals, as highlighted in its comments on BBC Coventry on 13 March 2002. [HL1152]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty): I regret that I am unable to give the noble Lord a substantive Answer. Neither the RSPCA nor BBC Coventry has been able to confirm the content, or provide a transcript, of any such comments by the RSPCA on BBC Coventry on that date.

Upper Severn Basin: Flood Control

Lord Carlile of Berriew asked Her Majesty's Government:

What is their policy in relation to flood control in the Upper Severn Basin on the Wales/Shropshire border.[HL1332]

Lord Whitty: The department, with the National Assembly for Wales (NAW), has overall policy responsibility for flood and coastal defences in England and Wales and administers grant-aid for capital defence schemes. Operational responsibility for flood measures rests with the local operating authorities, normally the Environment Agency (EA) and local councils, which decide which projects to promote and their timing.

The aim of Defra and NAW policy is to reduce the risks to people and the developed and natural environment from flooding and erosion: by encouraging the provision of adequate and cost-effective flood warning systems; by encouraging the provision of adequate, technically, environmentally and economically sound and sustainable flood and coastal defence measures; and by discouraging inappropriate development in areas at risk from flooding or coastal erosion.

Defra and NAW encourage operating authorities to look strategically at flood risk areas in relation to river catchments. The EA is currently preparing a catchment flood management plan for the Upper Severn and any options for flood alleviation measures arising from this plan must satisfy essential criteria to qualify for either Defra or NAW grant.

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