HC Deb 15 March 1994 vol 239 c574W
Mr. Morgan

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what consultations he has had with the secretariat of the Watt Committee on Energy in relation to the proposed publication of the final report of the working group on methane emissions as regards(a) the date of the publication, (b) the inclusion or exclusion of the annex submitted by the dissenting member in the published version and (c) representations concerning the publication of the dissenting member's annex; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. McLoughlin

[holding answer 14 March 1994]: The Watt committee on energy has undertaken as a project commissioned by my Department, a review of United Kingdom methane emissions, in particular in support of the development of the United Kingdom's climate change programme. The working group, under the chairmanship of Professor Alan Williams of Leeds university's department of fuel and energy, brought together relevant experts from industry, academia and Government.

A number of the findings of the group have already been published as part of "Climate Change, The UK Programme."

Publication of the working group's full report is expected in May.

One of the members of the working group has raised concerns over some matters in the report. The chairman has advised my Department that these are under consideration by the group as a whole.