HC Deb 28 April 1998 vol 311 c72W
Mr. Stunell

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her answer of 7 April 1998,Official Report, column 161, if she will list the UK Government's reservations on the European Commission draft white paper on renewable energy; and if she will make a statement. [39735]

Mr. Battle

The Government are working for a positive resolution at the Council of Ministers on 11 May, which:

agrees the need to promote a sustained and substantially increased use of renewable sources of energy throughout the European Union;welcomes the White Paper on a Community strategy and action plan;to that end, urges Member States to develop national strategies and structures for the promotion of renewables to bring about an increase in the use of renewable energy throughout the European Union, as we in the UK are already doing; andinvites the Commission to bring forward proposals for its "Campaign for Take Off'.