Wood Panel Industry

HC Deb 12 June 2003 vol 406 cc1005-6W

Mr. Yeo

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will apply the renewables obligation to the wood panel industry. [116267]

Ms Hewitt

The renewables obligation requires electricity suppliers in Great Britain to supply a specified and growing proportion of their electricity from renewable sources.

Mr. Timms

I understand from Post Office Ltd. that details of the total number of post office closures in the United Kingdom, recorded both by region/country and urban/rural classification are only available from March 2000 and are as follows:

Suppliers are expected to produce 10.4 per cent. of their electricity from renewable sources by 2010–11 and have three ways in which to comply with the obligation: through supplying eligible renewables electricity to customers in Great Britain; buying renewable obligation certificates independently of the power that gave rise to their issue; and/or paying a buy-out price to Ofgem rather than supplying renewables electricity.

The obligation is not therefore applicable to specific industries, such as the wood panel industry.