§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which United Kingdom power stations have been granted derogation from the Large Combustion Plant Directive. [136025]
§ Mr. BradshawSo far the revised Large Combustion Plants Directive (2001/80/EC) has been implemented in the UK only for plants subject to it that were first licensed after July 1987, and it will not apply to other plants until 1 January 2008. Derogations under the Directive for these plants will be a matter for Environment Agency in England and Wales and their equivalents in rest of the United Kingdom. Operators of plants licensed before July 1987 may apply for a limited hours derogation before 30 June 2004. Such a derogation would allow the plant to be exempt from complying with the emission limits or the national emission reduction plan established under the Directive, but it would mean that the plant could operate for no more than 20,000 operational hours between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2015. Other applications for derogations would be made nearer the time that the Directive applies.
§ Mr. Nicholas BrownTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to implement the Large Combustion Plant Directive in the north-east region. [136026]
§ Mr. BradshawThe Large Combustion Plants Directive (2001/80/EC) applies thoughout the United Kingdom. It has already been implemented for plants first licensed after July 1987. The Government have just completed a consultation on proposals to implement this Directive for plants first licensed before July 1987. We are considering the responses to that consultation and the Government will take a decision shortly on the most appropriate implementation approach; whichever approach is adopted would apply in the north-east region.