§ Mr. Simon HughesTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will list the sites used for limestone quarrying to provide material for the flue gas desulphurisation programme; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. BaldryMy right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Energy is responsible for consents necessary to fit flue gas desulphurisation plants. I understand that at present, two such consents have been granted, at Ratcliffe-on Soar in Nottinghamshire and Drax in North Yorkshire. Individual sites for extraction of limestone to be used in the process have not been identified. However, my right hon. Friend has stipulated in his consents that the limestone will not be obtained from within the national 381W parks. Any planning applications for limestone extraction for this purpose will, of course, be dealt with on their individual merits.