| Previous Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |
MoD and Environmental Tectonics Corporation
Lord Tebbit asked Her Majesty's Government:
Further to the Written Answer by the Lord Bach on 4 May (WA 97) concerning the settlement between Environmental Tectonics Corporation and the Ministry of Defence on the Royal Air Force Centrifuge, how much has been received by the Ministry of Defence in compensation. [HL2761]
Lord Bach: Under the terms of the mediated settlement on the Royal Air Force Centrifuge, the Ministry of Defence has received no compensation from Environmental Tectonics Corporation.
Defence Industries Council
Lord Astor of Hever asked Her Majesty's Government:
What mechanisms exist to communicate the deliberations of the Defence Industries Council to the rest of the defence industry, including small and medium-sized enterprises. [HL2994]
Lord Bach: The Defence Industries Council (DIC) is an industry body whose purpose is to represent the interests of the UK defence industry. The DIC is supported by four trade associations—the Society of British Aerospace Companies, Intellect, the Defence Manufacturers Association and the Society of Maritime Industries. The method of communication with its members is a matter for the DIC. The DIC meets formally with the Government at the National Defence Industries Council, which normally meets twice a year.
Road Surfaces
Lord Patten asked Her Majesty's Government:
By what date they expect (a) all of Britain's motorways, and (b) all of the dual carriageway sections of Britain's non-motorway standard trunk roads, to have been surfaced or resurfaced with noise-deadening materials. [HL2648]
Lord Davies of Oldham: As indicated in the Government's 10-year transport plan, quieter surfaces should be installed on over 60 per cent (2,500 miles) of the English strategic road network (motorways and trunk roads), including all concrete stretches by April 2011, subject to the availability of funds. Carriageways are being resurfaced with quieter materials as maintenance becomes due to keep them in a safe and serviceable (available for use) condition. However, where concrete carriageways will not require
26 May 2004 : Column WA148
maintenance by April 2011, their resurfacing is being prioritised to address those locations where the most homes are affected by traffic noise first. In addition, quieter surfaces will be used in all new major junction improvements, bypasses and road widenings. On the basis of current maintenance expectations for the strategic road network, nearly all dual carriageway sections should be resurfaced by around 2015.
Olympic Games 2012: London Bid
Lord Moynihan asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they antipicate that work on the East London Line extension will be completed before the 2012 Olympic Games; and, if so, what is the proposed timetable; and [HL3001]
Whether Crossrail can now be expedited to be ready for a 2012 Olympic Games in London. [HL3006]
Lord Davies of Oldham: The 2012 Olympic bid does not and never has assumed Crossrail. A robust transport solution for the Olympics can be delivered without Crossrail.
On Crossrail, my right honourable friend is currently considering Adrian Montague's findings, which will be published in due course.
The Strategic Rail Authority has puts its procurement proposals for the East London Line project to the department. The proposals raise a range of important issues that will need to be considered carefully in the context of the spending review later this year. No timetable has been set for the completion of works.
Fire Investigation Officers: Powers
Lord Avebury asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether, in pursuance of their powers to investigate the causes of fires, authorised officers as defined in the Fire and Rescue Services Bill will collect data on the amount of alcohol in the bloodstream of persons injured in fires; and how the procedures for doing so are to be defined. [HL2999]
The Minister of State, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (Lord Rooker): The Fire and Rescue Services Bill would give no power to fire investigation officers to take samples of body fluids from any person.
Gunpowder Plot: 400th Anniversary
Lord Lucas asked Her Majesty's Government:
What plans they have to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the foiling of the Gunpowder Plot. [HL2737]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (Lord Filkin): The Government have no plans to celebrate this anniversary. However, officials within Parliament are planning an exhibition to mark the 400th anniversary of the discovery of the Gunpowder Plot which will be held in Westminster Hall between July and December 2005. The purpose of the exhibition will be to provide a serious and dispassionate introduction to the plot in a location central to the actual scene of the historical events. It will seek to engage the interest of the public in parliamentary history and with the work of Parliament. Some of the national museums and galleries will also be participating in this initiative, and mounting displays of their own material in connection with the quater-centenary.
Export Credits Guarantee Department: Power Projects
Lord Dixon-Smith asked Her Majesty's Government:
How many electricity power stations fuelled by coal have been constructed since 1990 or are under construction by British construction firms in overseas countries using funding guaranteed by the export credit guarantee system; and [HL2928]
How many electricity power stations fuelled by oil have been constructed since 1990 or are under construction by British construction firms in overseas countries using funding guaranteed by the export credit guarantee system; and [HL2929]
How many electricity power stations fuelled by natural gas have been constructed since 1990 or are under construction by British construction firms in overseas countries using funding guaranteed by the export credit guarantee system; and [HL2930]
What is the annual or estimated annual emission in tonnes of carbon dioxide by coal-fired power stations constructed since 1990 or under construction whose funding was guaranteed by the export credit guarantee system; and [HL2931]
What is the annual or estimated annual emission in tonnes of carbon dioxide by oil-fired power stations constructed since 1990 or under construction whose funding was guaranteed by the export credit guarantee system; and [HL2932]
What is the annual or estimated annual emission in tonnes of carbon dioxide by gas-fired power stations constructed since 1990 or under construction whose funding was guaranteed by the export credit guarantee system. [HL2933]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): ECGD only has readily available information for those power projects for which guarantees have been issued since 1997. It would not be possible to obtain the details of projects from 1990 to 1996 except at disproportionate cost.
The table below shows the number of fossil fuel power stations supported by ECGD since 1997 and their approximate annual carbon dioxide emissions upon completion.
| Fuel Type | Number of Power Stations | ECGD Estimated Capacity (MW) | CO2 (Tonnes per year) |
| Coal | 11 | 11,260 | 40.6 million |
| Oil | 8 | 1,020 | 2.2 million |
| Gas | 9 | 4,707 | 7.6 million |
| Total | 28 | 16,987 | 50.4 million |
It has been assumed the plants operate for 60 per cent of the time (5,256 hours per year). CO2 emissions are calculated using the following conversion factors—Coal: 0.687 tonnes of CO2 per MW per hour, Oil 0.417, Gas: 0.309. These are taken from The Greenhouse Gas Protocol website (www.ghgprotocol.org) and are the 1999 average values for power plants in "Economies in Transition". These are the markets where ECGD most commonly provides guarantees.
It should be noted that for most large power projects ECGD is only one of several finance providers. Scaling the carbon dioxide emissions by the proportion of finance guaranteed by ECGD would give a figure of less than 20 million tonnes per year of carbon dioxide that is directly attributable to ECGD's participation.
| Next Section | Back to Table of Contents | Lords Hansard Home Page |