§ Mr. NormanTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much public subsidy(a) was spent in each of the last three years and (b) his Department forecasts will be spent in the current financial year on the construction of incinerators; and if he will list the incinerator projects and the amount of public subsidy in each case. [126759]
§ Mrs. LiddellI have been asked to reply.
The payments made from the fossil fuel levy for electricity generated by the combustion of waste in England and Wales in the financial years 1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–2000 to which I understand the hon. Member's question refers was £30 million, £31 million and £10 million respectively. These payments represent 26 per cent., 28 per cent. and 24 per cent. respectively of the total payments made for electricity generated from renewable sources of energy. The estimate for the financial year 2000–01 is £12 million (15 per cent. of the total). Projects are located at Edmonton, Coventry, Byker, Isle of Wight, Nottingham, Lewisham, Dudley, Wolverhampton, Stoke, Tyseley, Cleveland and Sheffield and more are expected to commission in due course. The payments received by each are commercially confidential. All of these projects offer substantial new opportunities for the recovery of metals and ash for recycling.