§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to increase the proportion of electricity in the United Kingdom generated by solar power. [11285]
§ Mr. BattleI refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Stoke on Trent, North (Ms Walley) on 10 June 1997,Official Report, column 417. We are currently reviewing policy in this area, including what would be necessary and practicable to achieve 10 per cent. of the UK's electricity needs from renewables by the year 2010. The Government's support for solar energy will be considered in the context of this review.
§ Mr. ChaytorTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the share of the global market in solar power held by British companies. [11229]
§ Mr. BattleThe solar energy—photovoltaic—industry has estimated in its draft strategy, as part of the Government's foresight energy initiative, that UK-based companies currently have 9 per cent. of the world market across the wide variety of PV applications.