§ Mr. WardTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what arrangements he proposes to succeed the provisions of sections 5 and 7 of the Energy Act 1983 as they apply in England and Wales.
§ Mr. ParkinsonOur privatisation proposals are designed to increase competition in generation by bringing new entrants into the market. We have not, however, overlooked those independent generators who a re currently supplying area boards.
We appreciate that there are existing projects where investments have been advanced against the backdrop of the 1983 Energy Act and the obligation under the Act on 643W area boards to purchase independently-produced electricity. We wish to ensure that the changes brought about by privatisation do not disadvantage those who have invested in generating plant as a result of the Act and who are currently selling to area boards under its terms. I am therefore pleased to announce that area board chairmen in England and Wales have agreed to transitional arrangements which will safeguard those generators, and leave them no worse off in revenue income terms than at present. Similar arrangements have been agreed in Scotland.
I can therefore confirm that generators who have entered into arrangements with the area boards to supply electricity since the 1983 Act will, if they choose, be able to continue those arrangements for a five-year transitional period. The boards will maintain energy and capacity payments at comparable levels to those available under the Act. This is a significant commitment by the boards to independent generators and it will assist those whose decisions on plant investment have been influenced by the existence of the provisions of the Energy Act in planning for the future.
Employment training—Stars and leavers September to December 1988 September October November December Region Starts Leavers Starts Leavers Starts Leavers Starts Leavers South East 1,633 — 2,050 — 1,987 — 1,707 — London 2,503 — 3,057 — 3,110 — 2,406 — South West 1,076 — 1,724 — 2,023 — 1,742 — West Midlands 2,470 — 3,733 — 3,829 — 3,303 — East Midlands and Eastern 1,771 — 2,728 — 2,860 — 2,202 — Yorkshire and Humberside 2,974 — 4,523 — 5,509 — 4,402 — North West 3,029 — 4,962 — 5,544 — 4,145 — Northern 2,395 — 3,219 — 3,546 — 2,895 — Wales 1,381 — 1,967 — 2,649 — 2,172 — Scotland 2,331 — 3,120 — 4,045 — 3,894 — Great Britain 21,462 1,000 31,083 5,000 35,202 7,000 28,867 7,000 Note:
The leaves figure are estimated and to trainees who not transferred from privious programmes
§ Mr. LoydenTo ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is(a) the number entering employment training each month, (b) the number of trainees entering practical experience placements each month, (c) the number leaving employment training each month and (d) the reasons given for leaving each month by trainees on (i) a national and (ii) an area office basis.
§ Mr. NichollsThe information is not available in the precise form requested. The following tables give the number entering employment training each month nationally and by area. Information on the number entering practical placements is not collected. The number leaving employment training is currently only available for Great Britain as a whole and is estimated. Regional and area breakdowns of this information will be available from April of this year. Data on the reasons given by trainees for
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Monthly totals: September 1988 to January 1989 Area September October November December January Berkshire and Oxfordshire 106 207 156 182 320 Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire 230 309 243 224 300 Essex 155 246 326 286 355 Hampshire and Isle of Wight 444 488 457 423 444 Kent 259 429 475 336 503 Sussex 218 241 224 188 259 Surrey 121 131 106 68 125 North London 730 565 602 533 655 It would be inconsistent with the general thrust of privatising the industry to enshrine in legislation a permanent protection for Energy Act generators. It would also be wrong in principle to extend their transitional arrangements to those who invested in capacity and were supplying area boards before the passage of the 1983 Act.