§ Mr. GummerTo ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) to which environmental organisations she has sent requests for comments on the proposals in her energy review announced on 25 June 1998, Official Report, columns 1169–85; [51281]
(2) which environmental organisations she has consulted on the proposals in the energy review which she announced to the House on 25 June 1998, Official Report, columns 1169–85. [51283]
§ Mrs. BeckettThe consultation document was sent free to any organisation requesting a copy. A copy was also posted on the Internet. Copies were also sent to those who have outstanding applications or notifications under the Electricity or Energy Acts, and those who submitted representations in response to the original press notice of 22 December 1997, including English Nature, Friends of the Earth, and the Council for the Protection of Rural England.
§ Mr. GummerTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what meetings she held with Friends of the Earth during the preparation of her energy review which she announced on 25 June 1998,Official Report, columns 1169–85. [51279]
§ Mrs. BeckettFriends of the Earth submitted two representations to the Review but did not request a meeting.
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§ Mr. GummerTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the effect on CO2 emission of the measures announced in her review of energy sources for power generation. [51286]
§ Mrs. BeckettThe consultation document setting out the preliminary conclusions of the Government's Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation reaffirms (Chapter 5, paragraph 19) the Government's commitment to meet its climate change targets, and states that the proposals in the consultation document are consistent with a decline in carbon emissions from the electricity supply industry.
§ Mr. GummerTo ask the President of the Board of Trade which schemes for non-coal fired power generation she has refused during the course of the review of energy sources for power generation; and what is her estimate of the number of such applications refused during that period. [51278]
§ Mrs. BeckettNo schemes have been refused, either under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 or under section 14 of the Energy Act 1976. Consideration of a number of cases has been deferred pending the outcome of the review.
§ Mr. GummerTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what advice she requested from(a) the Government's Panel on Sustainable Development and (b) the Round Table on Sustainable Development in the preparation of her energy review which she announced on 25 June 1998, Official Report, columns 1169–72. [51280]
§ Mrs. BeckettThere was a wide and open consultation on the Review, with representations being received from many different parties. In common with other parties, the two bodies mentioned were not specifically approached for advice. They did not make any representations.
§ Mr. GummerTo ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her oral statement of 25 June 1998,Official Report, columns 1169–72, on the Government's review of energy sources for power generation, how many of the independent advisers to which she referred had environmental qualifications; if she will list them; and which of them gave advice on the environmental effects of her proposals. [51284]
§ Mrs. BeckettThe advice received by my Department from external consultants in the Review was in relation to various technical and market-related matters (as set out in paragraph 4 on page 1 of the consultation document) rather than environmental matters.