HC Deb 13 December 1993 vol 234 cc490-1W
Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what has been the total(a) value and (b) number of kilowatt hours of electricity supplied to the United Kingdom by Electricité de France in each year since such supplies commenced.

Mr. Eggar

[holding answer 10 December 1993]: The net amount and value of electricity supplied to the United Kingdom from France has been as follows. Estimates of value since April 1990 are based on prevailing pool prices.

Value £ million Volume TWh
1986 80 4.3
1987 242 11.6
1988 268 12.8
1989 305 12.6
1990 200 11.9
1991 343 16.4
1992 369 16.7

Source: United Kingdom Digest of Energy Statistics: 1993, tables 49 and 66; 1992, tables 48 and 65; 1991, tables 50 and 66.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what projections he has made of the(a) value and (b) volume of electricity which is expected to be imported from France in each of the next 10 years for which figures are available.

Mr. Eggar

[holding answer 10 December 1993]: A description of how trade across the interconnector with France was expected to develop in the foreseeable future was given in the Government's Coal Review White Paper (Cm. 2235), paragraphs 7.100 to 7.101.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will make it his policy to cease to import electricity from France; and if he will make a statement;

(2) if he will commission an independent report into the total employment effect, implications for the balance of payments, and impact upon Exchequer revenues and social security spending which have occurred or which will occur in the future as a result of the importation of electricity from France.

Mr. Eggar

[holding answer 10 December 1993]: The Government's policy towards trade in electricity across the interconnector was set out in chapter 7 of the Government's Coal Review White Paper (Cm. 2235).

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what information he has concerning the percentage of electricity produced in each member country of the European Community from(a) nuclear, (b) coal, (c) gas, (d) orimulsion, (e) oil, (f) hydroelectric and (g) other powered generators.

Mr. Eggar

[holding answer 10 December 1993]: The information requested is shown in the following table. Separate figures for orimulsion are not available.

Total Net Production of Electrical Energy in 1991
Per cent
Nuclear Coal Gas1 Oi12 Hydro-electricity3 Other4
Belgium 59.7 22.9 12.4 2.5 1.4 1.1
Denmark 90.9 2.4 3.7 2.3 0.7
Germany 27.9 56.6 8.4 2.7 3.6 0.9
Greece 65.7 0.3 24.5 9.6
Spain 35.9 37.1 1.5 6.4 18.8 0.4
France 72.7 8.6 1.4 3.1 14.0 0.2
Ireland 552.6 24.7 16.0 6.7
Italy 12.7 17.4 46.5 21.4 2.1
Luxembourg 38.8 1.8 56.8 2.7
Netherlands 4.4 30.6 59.0 4.6 0.2 1.4
Portugal 32.3 0.2 33.3 31.5 2.7
United Kingdom 20.8 65.2 1.8 9.5 2.0 0.8

Source: Eurostat: Energy-Yearly Statistics

1 includes both natural gas and derived gases such as coke oven gas and blast furnace gas.

2 includes Orimulsion.

3 includes production from pumped storage stations.

4 includes wood, peat (except in Ireland), industrial residues and geothermal. 5 Irish figure includes peat.

Mrs. Ann Winterton

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when he last met representatives of Electricité de France; and what was said at that meeting.

Mr. Eggar

[holding answer 10 December 1993]: I met the French Industry Minister, M. Longuet, in the summer. We discussed the liberalisation of the French energy market, opportunities for United Kingdom generators to export to and through France, and the levy-exempt status of Electricité de France's electricity exports to the United Kingdom.

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