§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on how the Euratom programme will provide opportunities for research that may help support the domestic skills base. [141486]
§ Mr. TimmsThe Euratom programme covers both fission and fusion research and includes areas of research, like radiation protection, that the Nuclear Skills Group (NSG)1> indicated might face a domestic skills shortage in the future. It allows the UK to be part of large scale cutting edge international projects like the fusion International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER). The programme provides opportunities for UK researchers to collaborate with other EU research groups encouraging the spread of best practice. It has a role to play in maintaining expertise and attracting younger scientists in a sector currently facing considerable change.
1The Nuclear Skills Group (NSG) was drawn from a number of UK Government Departments, industry, academia and professional institutions. In 2002, it conducted a survey of the UK national nuclear and radiological skill base to provide an insight to the future availability of UK skills. The survey was prompted by an assessment of the international situation by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development/Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA).
§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the Government have contributed to(a)Euratom and (b)Euratom nuclear fusion research and development programmes in each year since 1997. [141487]
§ Mr. TimmsThe EU budget is not disaggregated at project/spending level to show national contributions by members states. However, Euratom spending forms part of the UK's annual contribution to the overall EC120W budget. The following table gives the UK's financial share after abatement to the EC budget for the years 1997–20031
1External expenditure is not subject to abatement.
UK percentage share 1997 11.9 1998 15.2 1999 13.4 2000 15.8 2001 9.6 2002 13.1 2003 12.9 The following table sets out the European Commission budgets for the total Euratom and Euratom fusion programmes (GBP millions, 2003 prices1).
1Figures have been calculated on the basis of official budget documents for 1998, 2000, 2002 and 2003, and have been converted into 2003 prices using Eurostat deflators. Euro figures have been converted into GBP using the average exchange rates for relevant years. Published figures for this expenditure are spread over different parts of the EC Budget, with principal activities falling under budget title 6, "Energy and Transport" (specifically the Community's nuclear energy programme), and budget title 8, "Research", as well as some external actions lines.
Total Euratom Of which fusion programme
:1997 159.9 130.2 1998 158.6 133.8 1999 177.5 139.2 2000 189.5 113.5 2001 190.3 163.4 2002 221.6 141.8 2003 176.7 97.6 Note
Figures do not include Euratom loans, which are financed separately from the budget.
§ Malcolm BruceTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much financial support the UK has received from Euratom for nuclear fission research in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement on research projects supported by Euratom. [141489]
§ Mr. TimmsThe European Commission figures on the final use of funding for the FP5 Nuclear Fission and Radiation Protection programme (1998–2002) provide an indication of opportunities that the programme brings to UK researchers. In FP5, the EC funded a total of 289 projects at a cost of 167.2 MEuro. UK participations totaled 266 and those participants received 21.6 MEuro of the available funding. Only France and Germany had a greater number of participations. Commission funding is paid direct to researchers and the UK Government hold no record of these payments.
The Government take a proactive approach in the negotiation of the Euratom Programmes and content of both FP5 Euratom and the new FP6 Euratom programme (2002–06) broadly match UK interests.