HL Deb 16 November 2001 vol 628 cc108-9WA
Baroness Byford

asked Her Majesty's Government:

What proportion of the £31 million announced in October 2000 to encourage the growing of crops for use in generating energy in power stations has been spent; and on what projects. [HL1212]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Lord Whitty)

Under the Energy Crops Scheme, part of the England Rural Development Programme announced in October 2000, £425,000 of the £30 million allocated has been spent or committed. Grants will support the establishment of miscanthus to supply a power station at Ely and short rotation coppice for power stations at Selby and Eye, where a producer group is also being funded. In addition, a number of small heat projects will be fuelled by energy crops established under the scheme.