§ Mr. Murphyasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make a statement about the meeting of the European Communities' Council of Energy Ministers on 9 November.
§ Mr. John MooreI represented the United Kingdom at this meeting. Substantial progress was made towards developing a coherent strategy to promote the role of solid fuels in the Community. The Council concluded that a firm political will exists to promote the role of solid fuels in the energy supply of the Community. Ministers will meet next month at a specially convened coal council to discuss specific actions in this area and to set terms of reference and time scales. The major items for discussion will include Community support for economic coal production, transportation and use. The aim will be to create a firm basis for a coherent Community strategy in this field.
On behalf of the United Kingdom Government, I welcomed this development. The United Kingdom Government believe that the time is ripe for the Community to develop new policies which recognise that coal—particularly coal produced in the Community at competitive prices—has a major role to play in meeting Community energy needs and reducing dependence on imported oil and gas.
The Council endorsed the findings of a study on how well member States can cope with interruptions in gas 249W supplies. The conclusions of the study are reassuring—even a loss of 25 per cent. in gas supplies over six consecutive months should not cause real difficulty for consumers. Work will continue to explore further possibilities for collaboration between member States. Studies will be made of the adequacy of the Community's gas transport system and into the prospects for exploiting deep gas in the Community.
A few more details were sorted out on the new draft regulations for the energy demonstration projects scheme—the old regulations expire next year and in 1984. I supported the extension of this scheme, but I stressed the need for the Council to retain firm management control, and for appropriate financial mechanisms.
The Council discussed a Commission proposal for interest rate subsidies for loans for certain classes of investment—district heating, conversion to coal, coal handling equipment, and generation of energy from waste. I am sympathetic to the Commission's aims here, but doubt whether the particular proposals are the best means at this time. Interest rates are declining and the cost of borrowing is unlikely to hold back this sort of investment.
The Council was to have considered a draft directive, under which the basis for calculating the level of obligatory oil stocks would have changed. Instead of calculating the level at 90 days of the average daily rate of consumption for the last year, the draft directive would have changed the formula to 90 days of the average daily rate over the last three years. However, the Commission withdrew the draft directive. In its place, the Council
Three-Year-olds Four-Year-Olds 1979 1980 1981 1979 1980 1981 Full-time number 1,269 1,217 1,116 2,381 2,398 2,256 Part-time number 10,161 10,254 10,487 17,720 18,362 19,054 Part-time FTE* 4,995 5,032 5,146 8,740 9,036 9,413 Total population 63,147 60,343 61,009 65,718 62,572 58,813 * FTE=Full time equivalent.
§ Mr. McNallyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland how many (a) 3-year-olds and (b) 4-year-olds in Scotland were in local authority day nurseries with teacher supervision expressed as (i) full-time equivalents and (ii) full and unweighted part-timers in each of the last three years for which figures are available.
§ Mr. John MacKayin the years ending 31 March 1980 and 1981 the numbers of children in the age group three to five attending local authority day nurseries in which teachers are employed were as follows
1980 - 4291981 - 287Information is not available about 3 and 4-year-olds separately or about full-time and part-time attendance. The returns for 1979 did not deal with the employment of teachers.
Mr. NcNallyasked the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the estimated average cost per full-time equivalent child in (a) nursery schools and (b) nursery classes in primary schools, in 1981–82, 1980–81, 1979–80 and 1982–83 if figures are now available. 250W agreed to consider a political commitment to make the same change, except where consumption has declined because of long-term changes in oil use. There will be no need to change the present obligations on United Kingdom companies if this commitment is confirmed.
The Council also endorsed an interim report on energy pricing within the Community, and the principles behind a directive on substitute fuels in petrol. A directive on efficiency testing of heat generators was agreed.