§ Ms KellyTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is yet in a position to make his decision on AES Fifoots Point Ltd' s application to extend the Fifoots Point coal-fired power station near Newport in South Wales.[76735]
§ Mr. BattleI have today granted consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to AES Fifoots Point Ltd.'s application to construct a re-circulating cooling water system (the extension) at its existing power station at Fifoots Point. The decision has been taken in accordance with the policy set out in the White Paper entitled 'Conclusions of the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation and Government response to fourth and fifth Reports of the Trade and Industry Committee' (Cm 4071).
The relevant planning authority, Newport County Borough Council, has not objected to the application.
Decisions on other applications under consideration will be announced in due course.
Copies of the Press Notice are being placed in the Library of the House.