§ Mr. John GreenwayTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the outcome of the European Community's Council of Energy Ministers on 29 October.
§ Mr. WakehamThe Council took further steps to liberalise the Community's energy market. The directive on the transit of electricity, on which political agreement had been reached at the previous Energy Council earlier this year, was adopted. A broad agreement was reached by qualified majority on the parallel directive on gas transit, opening the way for a common position at a later date. Although the directives do not. go far towards liberalising the Community's energy markets, the United Kingdom has supported them as a step in that direction. The Council also agreed, subject to the opinion of the European Parliament, to the repeal of the 1975 directive controlling the use of gas in generating electricity. The United Kingdom has long sought the repeal of that outdated measure.
The Council also discussed the current oil situation and concluded that world market supplies were adequate and that member states' stocks were high. It also agreed that the Commission's proposals to update existing contingency measures needed further study.
The Commission introduced the proposed SAVE programme (specific actions for vigorous energy efficiency) which is intended to co-ordinate member states' own
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Table 2 NHS Land and Property Sales—Receipts £s rounded to nearest '000 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 Clwyd Cash Prices 341 119 95 383 Nil 63 44 Constant Prices 471 157 119 463 Sales 67 44 East Dyfed Cash Prices Nil Nil 286 78 295 90 35 Constant Prices Sales Sales 357 94 339 96 35 Gwent Cash Prices 223 108 209 108 67 323 141 Constant Prices 308 142 261 131 77 346 141 Gwynedd Cash Prices 26 31 16 1,031 Nil 49 918 Constant Prices 36 41 20 1,246 Sales 52 918 Mid Glamorgan Cash Prices 119 156 672 737 663 145 532 Constant Prices 164 205 839 891 761 155 532 Pembroke Cash Prices 2 25 Nil Nil 43 250 144 Constant Prices 3 33 Sales Sales 49 268 144 Powys Cash Prices 58 43 237 57 53 438 66 Constant Prices 80 57 296 69 61 469 66 South Glamorgan Cash Prices 18 476 60 67 429 165 Nil Constant Prices 25 627 75 81 492 177 Sales West Glamorgan energy efficiency programmes. The Council welcomed the initiative which is intended among other things to lead to action on energy efficiency labelling and minimum standards for electrical appliances. The initiative emphasises the need for market-based measures.
There was also on 29 October a joint Energy/ Environment Council. I refer my hon. Friend to the written reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Swindon (Mr. Coombs) by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment on 31 October 1990, Official Report, columns 540–42.