§ Mr. ClaphamTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many submissions her Department has received in response to the consultation on the Large Combustion Plant Directive; and how many(a) favoured the national plan approach and (b) supported the emission limit value approach. [141321]
§ Mr. Bradshaw[holding answer 4 December 2003]Over 70 substantive responses were received from individuals, businesses, trade associations, environmental groups, regulators, and Government agencies. Of these about 30 favoured the implementation of the Directive by the emission limit approach; about 20 favoured the national plan approach; and about 20 did not express any views on the choice of implementation approach. In addition, some 1,550 individual letters were received from employees of the coal mining and associated industries, all of which favoured the emission limits approach.
§ Mr. ClaphamTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will establish an inquiry into(a) the effects of the emission limit value approach on UK jobs in (i) the coalmining industry, (ii) the electricity generating industry and (iii) the mining machinery manufacturing sector and (b) the environmental benefit of each approach; and if she will publish the findings before making a final decision on the preferred option. [141323]
§ Mr. Bradshaw[holding answer 4 December 2003]We intend to undertake further analysis on whether there is a significantly different impact on the coal industry from the emission limits approach, compared to the national plan approach, to implementing the revised Large Combustion Plants Directive (2001/80/EC) for plants first licensed before July 1987. The estimated costs associated with these alternative options on the Electricity Generating Industry, as well as their respective environmental effects, were set out in our consultation paper, published in June 2003.