§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to promote schemes which would encourage heat generation from renewable or coppiced wood crops. [58904]
§ Mr. MorleyIn April the Government launched the bioenergy capital grant scheme which includes funding for the development of the heat market utilising purpose grown energy crops or forestry wood fuel. Further funding will be available from a community and household capital grant scheme which will be launched later this year. In England, the energy crops scheme, part of the rural development programme, has allocated £29 million to solid biomass and this can support feedstocks for heat generation. Officials are also working closely with the local support teams set up by the Countryside Agency, through the community renewables initiative, to develop markets for renewables.
§ Mr. KirkwoodTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps are being taken to promote ethanol production from renewable or coppiced wood crops. [58905]
§ Mr. MorleyThe Government-Industry Forum on the Non-Food Uses of Crops is studying the potential for bioethanol production. This includes an assessment of the new production technologies which utilise lignocellulosic feedstocks, including purpose grown crops and forest material, and which are likely to give a better environmental return. The Government have also launched a second round of the green fuel challenge inviting bids for pilot projects for biofuels, including bioethanol, which would qualify for duty reductions. In England, the energy crops scheme, part of the rural development programme, has allocated £29 million to solid biomass and this can support feedstocks for bioethanol production. Finally, the Government are considering carefully the recommendation of the Policy Commission on the Future of Farming and Food that duty on biofuels should be reduced to the rates applied to other clean fuels.