§ Mr. Martyn JonesTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will make an assessment of the(a) number, (b) distribution and (c) benefits of (i) food co-operatives, (ii) co-operatively owned wind farms and (iii) community land trusts in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [10535]
§ Mr. PageTo my knowledge there is one wind cooperative in the UK, Baywind Energy Co-operative, which has recently raised £620,000 to buy one of the five wind turbines of the Harlock Hill wind farm near Ulverston, in Cumbria. The aim of the co-operative is gradually to buy further wind turbines as money becomes available. About 650 people subscribed to its first share offer, spending an average of over £1,000. The majority of the subscribers come from the surrounding district.
Developing co-operatively owned wind farms encourages a community to accept responsibility for providing its energy requirements in an environmentally acceptable way.
It is for the market to decide which forms of ownership are the most successful.
My right hon. Friend the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has responsibility for food co-operatives but it is not clear what the hon. Member means by community land trusts.