§ Sue DoughtyTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on Government strategy to increase the amount of energy crops grown in United Kingdom. [127614]
§ Mr. BradshawThis Department is committed to supporting the growing of energy crops in England. We have allocated £29 million under the Energy Crops Scheme to support the planting of short rotation coppice (SRC) and miscanthus, and the setting up of producer groups to supply SRC to energy end-users. £3.5.million has been allocated to develop supply chains for energy crops and woodfuel, from harvest to energy end-users. Energy crops can be planted on set-aside land and receive payments under the Arable Area Payments Scheme.
295W£66 million is available to develop markets for biomass, including energy crops, in heat, combined heat and power, and power generation. Officials are working closely with project developers and others, including the Local Support Teams set up under the Countryside Agency's Community Renewables Initiative, to promote the potential of energy crops. Recently, over 200 farmers attended one such event near Swindon. The co-firing of energy crops with fossil fuels is permitted under the Renewables Obligation. To encourage the market for transport biofuels, which can be produced from energy crops, the Government introduced a cut in the duty rate for biodiesel in July 2002 and has announced the intention to cut the duty rate for bioethanol in January 2005.