HC Deb 02 December 1992 vol 215 cc254-6W
Mr. Colvin

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish details of Government spending on renewables research and development for the current financial year broken down by the energy source.

Mr. Eggar

The estimates provision for the renewable energy research and development programme for 1992–93 is detailed in table 7 of "The Government's Expenditure Plans within the Energy Sector 1992–93 to 1994–95".

Mr. Colvin

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish the names of the members of the Renewable Energy Advisory Group together with their credentials; and if he will make a statement on their agenda for the current financial year.

Mr. Eggar

The Renewable Energy Advisory Group was appointed in 1991 to review the Government's strategy to stimulate the development and application of renewable energy technologies wherever they have prospects of economic viability and environmental acceptability. Its report will contribute to the Government's overall review of renewable energy and will be published shortly.

Membership of the group is as follows:

Dr. Martin Holdgate1 Chairman

  • Director General, International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources; formerly Deputy Secretary, Environment Protection and Chief Environment Scientist, Department of the Environment.

Dr. Mary Archer

  • Chairman, National Energy Foundation.

Mr. John Bellak

  • Chairman, Severn Trent plc.

Professor Sir Hermann Bondi

  • Fellow, formerly Master, of Churchill College, Cambridge; formerly Chief Scientific Adviser, Department of Energy and Chairman, Natural Environment Research Council.

Mr. Peter Goldsworthy

  • Director of Electricity Generation, NORWEB plc.

Mr. David Heathcoat-Amory2

  • Formerly, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy.

Mr. Gerald Leach

  • Senior Research Fellow, Stockholm Environment Institute.

Dr. David Lindley, Managing Director, National Wind Power Ltd.

Mr. Colin Moynihan3

  • Formerly, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Energy.

Mr. Peter Oppenheimer

  • Student in Economics, Christ Church, Oxford; Chairman Caminus Energy Ltd.

Mr. Jeremy Sainsbury

  • Sole agent, Fred Olsen Ltd.

Professor Arnold Wolfendale

  • Astronomer Royal, and Professor of Physics at Durham University.

1 Chairman from June 1992.

2 Member until April 1992.

3 Chairman and Member until April 1992.

Mr. Colvin

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make a statement on his policy for market-based support for the renewable energy technology through the non-fossil fuel obligation and the fossil fuel levy, with percentage and cash figures for each.

Mr. Eggar

My right hon. Friend's policy is to make renewables orders during the 1990s to support 700 MW of renewable generating capacity; the amount of support required through the levy will depend upon the contribution to generators' costs made by revenue from market sales. My right hon. Friend will review this policy in the light of the report from the Renewable Energy Advisory Group, taking into account the coal review now in progress.