ARBRE Energy (Hansard, 6 November 2002)

§ Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money is owed to her Department by ARBRE Energy. [76846]

§ Margaret Beckett
No money is owed to my Department by ARBRE Energy.

§ Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of(a) the number of farmers who were assigned grants made by her Department to ARBRE 370W Energy in respect of the Eggborough Power Station and (b) the impact on those farm businesses of moves by her Department to recover grants paid. [76845]

§ Margaret Beckett
Under the Energy Crops Scheme and the Woodland Grant Scheme planting grants are payable to growers. In the case of crops to provide fuel for the ARBRE power station growers assigned the payments to ARBRE Energy and this Department and the Forestry Commission were asked to make the payments to the third party. 12 growers qualified for grants to plant crops to provide fuel for ARBRE under the Energy Crops Scheme. A further 46 growers qualified for grants under the Woodland Grants Scheme. The Energy Crops Scheme requires that crops are used for the production of energy but it is too early to consider any recovery of grant as discussions are continuing on the future of ARBRE. Should it become necessary the Department will work closely with growers to access one of the alternative energy markets.

§ Mr. Lidington
To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much money her Department has paid in grants, and under which schemes, to ARBRE Energy in respect of the wood-burning power station at Eggborough, Selby. [76843]

§ Margaret Beckett
Grants to plant crops to provide fuel supply for the ARBRE project have been paid to ARBRE Energy as followsEnergy Crops Scheme per cent. £184,580 Woodland Grant Scheme per cent. £980,994 Of the £184,580 two payable orders totalling £31,290 have yet to be cashed.
A further £97,090 remains payable to Arbre Energy under assignments made by growers. Following the liquidation, we were asked to delay these two payments until the growers in question had opportunity to discuss cancellation of the assignments with the liquidator. I hope that this will be resolved shortly.