HL Deb 06 December 1989 vol 513 cc966-7WA
The Earl of Halsbury

asked Her Majesty's Government:

With regard to the electricity industries of the United Kingdom and of its EC partners:—

  1. (a) What percentage of electric power generated in each member state is represented by:
    1. (i) fossil fuel fired sources,
    2. (ii) nuclear fission processes,
    3. (iii) hydroelectric power,
    4. (iv) other sources;
  2. (b) What is the cost in each case per kW/hr at the busbars, and whether such cost figures contain provision for decommissioning in due course; and
  3. (c) What is the price of electricity per kW/hr to industrial and domestic consumers respectively; whether such price figures contain concealed subsidies; and, if so, to what extent.

Viscount Ullswater

(a) The percentage of net electricity produced in 1988 was:

(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
Fossil Nuclear Hydro Other
Belgium 32 66 2 0
Denmark 99 0 1 0
France 9 70 21 0
Germany 61 34 5 0
Greece 92 0 8 0
Ireland 90 0 10 0
Italy 76 0 22 1
Luxembourg 38 0 62 0
Netherlands 95 5 0 0
Portugal 44 0 56 0
Spain 37 36 27 0
UK 78 19 2 0

SOURCE: Eurostat Energy Statistics, October 1989. Figures exclude electricity generated by industry for its own use.

(b) This information is not available on a comparable basis from published sources. Disproportionate cost would be involved in obtaining information from report and accounts, etc., and the resulting figures would not be comparable, as they would reflect different accounting conventions.

(c) The price of electricity in pence per kW/hr in 1986 (the latest year for which information is available for all member states) and 1988 was:

INDUSTRIAL CONSUMERS DOMESTIC CONSUMERS
1986 1988 1986 1988
Belgium 3.5 3.0 8.8 8.3
Denmark 3.1 2.8 7.5 7.9
France 2.9 2.7 7.6 7.4
Germany 4.5 4.7 7.8 8.4
Greece 3.8 5.3
Ireland 5.0 4.7 7.8 7.0
Italy 4.5 3.9 6.3 6.0
Luxembourg 3.6 6.3
Netherlands 3.0 6.4 6.1
Portugal 5.0 5.3 6.7 6.9
Spain 4.2 7.6
UK 3.6 3.7 5.3 5.4

SOURCE: IEA Energy Prices and Taxes 2nd Quarter 1989. Figures are for the average unit value (including taxes) of electricity supplied. The figures are converted into pence at the average exchange rates of 1986 and 1988.

The existence of concealed subsidy is inevitably subjective, and disproportionate cost would be involved in obtaining information and making an assessment.