House of Commons Hansard Debates for 26 Feb 1990

Mr. Baldry : Electricity prices are a matter for the industry. However, I frequently meet the representatives of the electricity industry and a wide range of issues are discussed.

32. Mrs. Currie : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the increase in domestic electricity prices since 1984.

45. Mr. David Martin : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the increase in domestic electricity prices since 1984.

Mr. Baldry : Domestic electricity prices between the fourth quarters of 1984 and 1989 resulted in a reduction of 8 per cent. in real terms.

Opencast Mining

23. Mr. Fisher : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has received about British Coal's proposals to develop opencast sites.

Mr. Baldry : I have received a number of representations about opencasting in general, and about particular proposals to develop individual sites.

British Coal

26. Mr. Redmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the chairman of British Coal ; and what matters he expects to discuss.

Mr. Lofthouse : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the chairman of British Coal ; and what matters he expects to discuss.

Mr. Wakeham : I meet the chairman of British Coal regularly to discuss all aspects of the coal industry.

Nuclear Installations Inspectorate

28. Mr. Mullin : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the chief inspector of the nuclear installations inspectorate ; and what he expects to discuss.

Mr. Wakeham : Although I meet the chief inspector of Her Majesty's nuclear installations inspectorate from time to time, I have no plans to do so in the immediate future. Officials of my Department are, of course, in regular contact with the nuclear installations inspectorate on matters relating to nuclear safety.

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European Community Energy Ministers

31. Mr. Dykes : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to attend a meeting of the European Economic Community Council of Energy Ministers.

Mr. Wakeham : The next meeting of the European Community Council of Energy Ministers is due to take place on 21 May 1990. Either I or my right hon. Friend the Member for the City of Chester (Mr. Morrison) will attend.

British Gas

33. Mr. Riddick : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next intends to meet the chairman of British Gas ; and what issues he expects to discuss.

Mr. Wakeham : I meet the chairman of British Gas regularly and discuss a range of issues of mutual interest.

Mr. John Marshall : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the level of investment by British Gas since it was privatised.

Mr. Peter Morrison : This is a matter for British Gas plc.

Electricity Supply Industry

35. Mr. McCartney : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make it his policy to exempt employees of the electricity supply industry from the provisions of the Financial Services Act 1986, when discussing financial projects for their industry with bona fide journalists and academics engaged in studying the industry.

Mr. Baldry : The Electricity Act 1989 has not amended the Financial Services Act 1986 to exempt employees of the electricity supply industry from its provisions when discussing financial projects for the industry with bona fide journalists and academics engaged in studying the industry, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy sees no reason why such employees should be so exempted in future.

Amoco Application

37. Mrs. Margaret Ewing : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he intends to make a decision on Amoco's proposals for a central area transmission system.

41. Mr. Salmond : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he intends to make a decision on Amoco's proposals for a central area transmission system.

Mr. Peter Morrison : I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave on 19 February to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan, Official Report, col. 528.

Director-General of Electricity Supply

38. Mr. McAvoy : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the Director-General of Electricity Supply ; and what matters he expects to discuss.

Mr. Wakeham : I meet the Director-General of Electricity Supply from time to time to discuss aspects of electricity supply industry regulation.

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Electricity Privatisation

39. Mr. Eadie : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a further statement on the current progress of electricity privatisation.

Mr. Baldry : The Government intend to implement the new structure of the industry on 31 March and to complete its privatisation within this Parliament.

Neighbourhood Energy Action

40. Mr. Cousins : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the chief executive of Neighbourhood Energy Action ; and what matters he expects to discuss.

Mr. Wakeham : I meet the director of Neighbourhood Energy Action from time to time to discuss matters relating to the improvement of energy efficiency in low-income households.

North Sea Gas

44. Mr. Butler : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his latest assessment of the remaining reserves of North sea gas.

Mr. Peter Morrison : Gas reserves at the end of 1988 were estimated to be 1,195 billion cubic metres at the proven plus probable level. The estimate for reserves remaining at the end of 1989 will be presented to Parliament in the 1990 Brown Book due to be published in the spring.

National Power

49. Mr. Buckley : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chief executive of National Power ; and what matters were discussed.

Mr. Wakeham : I meet the chief executive of National Power regularly to discuss many aspects of his business.

Health and Safety Executive

51. Mr. Ernie Ross : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the Health and Safety Executive ; and what matters were discussed.

Mr. Wakeham : I met representatives of the Health and Safety Commission and Health and Safety Executive in December last year. Officials of my Department meet Executive personnel on a regular basis.

Gas Standing Charges

52. Mr. Wood : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of British Gas to discuss the trend in standing charges since the privatisation of the gas industry.

Mr. Evennett : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met the chairman of British Gas to discuss the trend in standing charges since the privatisation of the gas industry.

Mr. Wakeham : Standing charges are a matter for British Gas plc. However, I understand that standing charges have fallen in real terms by 19 per cent. since privatisation.

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Electricity Council

53. Mr. Eastham : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he proposes to meet the chairman of the Electricity Council ; and what matters he expects to discuss.

Mr. Wakeham : I meet the chairman of the Electricity Council regularly to discuss various matters.

Energy Efficiency

55. Mr. David Nicholson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what has been the rate of improvement in energy efficiency since 1979 (a) in the United Kingdom and (b) in other European countries.

Mr. Peter Morrison : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) earlier today.

Landfill Gas Schemes

57. Mr. Summerson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what encouragement his Department has given to the development of landfill gas schemes.

Mr. Peter Morrison : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Bedfordshire, North (Sir T. Skeet) earlier today.

Combined Heat and Power

61. Mr. Devlin : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what initiatives the Energy Efficiency Office is taking to promote the use of combined heat and power.

Mr. Peter Morrison : My Department is actively promoting combined heat and power through the best practice programme. In particular my Energy Efficiency Office has planned a series of regional CHP marketing events to be held in 1990.

Acid Rain

Mr. John Evans : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what steps he is taking to reduce acid rain emissions from coal-fired power stations.

Mr. Baldry : The Government are determined to implement in full the EC large combustion plants directive. This directive commits the United Kingdom to reduce its emissions of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides from existing plants, such as fossil fuelled power stations, but does not specify the means by which this has to be done. Retrofitting flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) equipment will play an important part. Contracts have already been placed for 4GW of FGD equipment at Drax power station, and further retrofits are in prospect. However, other measures, such as the burning of low-sulphur fuels, including gas, are likely to contribute.

Non-fossil Fuel Obligation

Mr. John P. Smith : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his most up-to-date estimate of the date on which the fossil fuel or nuclear levy will fall to 5 per cent. or less.

Mr. Wakeham : I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Rother Valley (Mr. Barron) earlier today.

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Offshore Oil

Mr. Watson : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he last met trade union representatives involved in the offshore industry ; and what matters were discussed.

Mr. Peter Morrison : I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 18 December 1989 at column 99.

Mr. McAllion : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has received any representations concerning trade union representation for offshore workers in the North sea.

Mr. Peter Morrison : The Department received a number of representations from hon. Members and others and consulted trade unions fully before the Offshore Installations (Safety

Representatives and Safety Committees) Regulations 1989 were made. The regulations came into force on 18 September 1989.

I have also been in correspondence with MSF on trade union recognition offshore which is a matter for employers and the particular trade unions concerned. I will be meeting members of MSF and its parliamentary committee soon.

Department of Energy (Future Role)

Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment he is undertaking of the continuing need for a Department of Energy.

Mr. Wakeham : I refer my hon. Friend to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 15 February at column 361.

Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what further plans he has to privatise the activities of his Department.

Mr. Wakeham : We plan to privatise the electricity supply industry in England and Wales and, in due course, British Coal. I have at present no further plans of this kind.

Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what savings his Department has made in its expenditure following the privatisation of industries which were his Department's responsibility.

Mr. Wakeham : As a direct result of privatisations already carried through, my Department has saved 20 staff out of a total of around 1, 000. The associated savings in administrative costs currently amount to around £400,000 a year.

Energy Conservation

Mr. Michael : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimates he has made of the number of elderly people who would benefit significantly from energy conservation measures in their homes ; and what average saving in annual energy costs per household might be achieved.

Mr. Peter Morrison : The installation of cost-effective energy efficiency measures could improve comfort and reduce fuel bills in most households including those where the occupants are elderly. It is estimated that savings of 20 per cent. or more could typically be achieved through the adoption of straightforward measures.

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Mr. Paice : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy by how much spending on the promotion of energy efficiency has risen since 1979.

Mr. Peter Morrison : The budget of the Energy Efficiency Office in the current year is £15 million--six times the level of spending in 1978-79 of £2.4 million.

Magnox

Mr. Flynn : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet the chief executive of the Health and Safety Executive and Her Majesty's chief inspectorate of nuclear installations to discuss the future operational life expectancy of the Magnox nuclear power stations.

Mr. Baldry : On present plans I expect to meet the Director General of the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), and the chief inspector of HSE's nuclear installations inspectorate in May. Officials in my Department have regular contact with personnel from the Health and Safety Executive's NII.

Friends of the Earth

Mr. Stern : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy when he next expects to meet representatives of Friends of the Earth ; and what matters he expects to discuss.

Mr. Wakeham : I met representatives of Friends of the Earth last October. I have no present plans for a further meeting.

Nuclear Waste

Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on current Government policy in respect of (a) the transportation by land and air of nuclear waste or spent fuel of all grades in or over the United Kingdom and (b) the importation of other nations' nuclear wastes for reprocessing or storage in the United Kingdom.

Mr. Baldry : The transport of all radioactive materials is allowed only subject to very rigorous requirements. Regulations are laid down by the Department of Transport and these are based on internationally agreed standards of safety recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The containers approved for radioactive materials are designed in such a way that there would be no significant radiological hazard even in a severe accident. Therefore, safety does not depend on means of transport or route employed.

Nuclear wastes are not imported into the United Kingdom. Since 1976, BNFL's contracts for the reprocessing of overseas spent fuel have contained options for the return of wastes arising. The Government intend that reprocessing contracts with overseas customers should continue to contain such options, that the options should be exercised and that wastes should be returned.

THORP

Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information he has regarding the negotiation of a contract between British Nuclear Fuels plc and the German company VEBA to reprocess German nuclear waste at the THORP reprocessing plant at Sellafield,

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Cumbria ; whether any United Kingdom or West German Government agency is acting as an intermediary between the two companies ; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Baldry : The contractual negotiations that have taken place directly between British Nuclear Fuels plc and several German utilities are a commercial matter for the companies involved. They relate to reprocessing at Sellafield of spent fuel from German reactors, not of waste. In line with Government policy, the contracts, when concluded, will provide for the return to the Federal Republic of Germany of wastes arising from the reprocessing.

Mr. Battle : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current expected cost of the THORP nuclear waste reprocessing plant at Sellafield, Cumbria ; and what is the anticipated date on which it will begin operations.

Mr. Baldry : The expected total cost of the thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield is some £1.8 billion. British Nuclear Fuels plc has secured business worth up to £5 billion which will pay for its investment in the plant. The fuel receipt and storage facility is operational now and commercial reprocessing is expected to begin in late 1992. The facility will reprocess spent fuel and not waste.

Energy Prices

Mrs. Gorman : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what steps he is taking to allow energy prices to be determined by market forces.

Mr. Wakeham : Prices of petroleum products are already determined by market forces. It is the Government's policy that where systems of regulation exist they are designed to promote competition and over a period of years to produce prices which reflect the appropriate market forces. The Government seek to ensure that the price of energy reflects the true costs of production including a fair return on investment.

Sizewell B

Mr. Morgan : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) what is his most up-to-date assessment of the cost of construction, commissioning, operating and reprocessing spent fuel rods arising at the Sizewell B pressurised water reactor nuclear power station, following his decision to cancel the three other proposed pressurised water reactor stations ;

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(2) what is his most up-to-date assessment of the effect of his decision to cancel the three other proposed pressurised water reactors on the cost of proceeding with Sizewell B.

Mr. Baldry : The costs of Sizewell B are a matter for Nuclear Electric. The company will be providing my Department with a latest estimate for the construction cost of Sizewell B when they have completed their current review.

Miners (Union Contributions)

Mr. Hood : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will give details of his discussions with the Union of Democratic Mineworkers on 23 January ; whether he discussed the method of payment of union contributions of members of the National Union of Mineworkers in the Nottinghamshire coalfield.

Mr. Wakeham : A number of matters were discussed when my hon. Friend the Member for Banbury (Mr. Baldry) met the president of the Union of Democratic Mineworkers on 23 January. No reference was made during the meeting to the method of payment of union contributions.

Nuclear Power Stations

Mr. Illsley : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his assessment of the impact of the future operational life expectancy of the Dungeness B, Hartlepool and Heysham I advanced gas-cooled reactor nuclear power stations on the level of the nuclear or fossil-fuel levy over the next 10 years.

Mr. Baldry : As my right hon. Friend announced on 12 February, the non-fossil fuel obligation will be set initially for the period up to 1997- 98. No AGR station is planned to close before the end of this period. The life expectancy of AGR stations will not therefore affect the level of the levy up to 1997-98.

Nuclear Energy

Mr. Dalyell : To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what information is available to him as to the comparative costs of nuclear power at (a) Dungeness and (b) Torness.

Mr. Baldry : This is a commercial matter for the Nuclear Electric division of CEGB and for the SSEB. I have therefore asked the chairmen to write to the hon. Member.

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