HC Deb 17 March 2004 vol 419 cc269-70W
Mr. Laurence Robertson

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when combined heat and power was last discussed at the Sustainable Energy Policy Network; and if she will make a statement; [160222]

(2) what studies the Sustainable Energy Policy Network has commissioned on combined heat and power; and if she will make a statement; [160223]

(3) what (a) fiscal and (b) regulatory measures are being considered by the Sustainable Energy Policy Network to encourage combined heat and power. [160224]

Mr. Morley

Within government Defra takes the lead for policy on combined heat and power (CHP) and CHP is regularly discussed at the monthly meetings of the Sustainable Energy Policy Programme Board.

Since the publication of the Energy White Paper the Government have commissioned the following studies on combined heat and power: Modelling Good Quality Combined Heat and Power Capacity to 2010: This report was published in October and is available on the DTI website. National Allocation Plan: Implications and Options for CHP: This report was published in February and is available on the Defra website. A third study evaluates the UK potential for CHP and will be published shortly.

In developing the final CHP Strategy for publication after the Easter Recess we have been considering the full range of policy options to support achievement of the CHP target of 10,000MWe by 2010.

Brian White

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to use combined heat and power to cut fuel poverty. [160090]

Mr. Morley

The Community Energy programme is a three-year £50 million UK-wide grant programme promoting community heating largely through the use of CHP. One of the aims of the programme is to help 100,000 people to heat their homes affordably. We hope that it will be possible to extend the programme beyond March 2005, but this is subject to resources being available.

In the Energy White Paper we made a commitment to support field trials for micro-CHP. These trials, which are being conducted by the Carbon Trust, will help determine the fuel and carbon saving potential of micro-CHP in a range of applications. The results of the trials will help inform the development of any future support for the technology, including in fuel poor households.

Brian White

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Government's combined heat and power strategy will be published. [160091]

Mr. Morley

We intend publishing the Government's CHP Strategy to 2010 after the Easter Recess, to coincide with the first year review of the Energy White Paper.

Brian White

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Government's progress in meeting its target to achieve 10GW of combined heat and power by 2010. [160092]

Mr. Morley

At the end of 2002, installed CHP capacity stood at 4,742MWe. More up to date data will become available when the annual Digest of UK Energy Statistics (DUKES) is published in the summer by DTI. The measures to support CHP announced in the Energy White Paper, taken together with the measures we have previously introduced and detailed in the draft CHP Strategy, will significantly help CHP. We will set out the full range of support measures in the Government's Strategy for CHP to 2010, which we intend to publish after the Easter Recess.

Brian White

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what policies her Department has introduced since the publication of the Energy White Paper to encourage investor confidence in the combined heat and power sector; and if she will make a statement. [160093]

Mr. Morley

Since last year's Energy White Paper we have been progressing delivery of the support measures for CHP set out therein. Before Christmas I set an ambitious target to source at least 15 per cent. of electricity for government use from Good Quality CHP by 2010. These Energy White Paper support measures, taken together with the measures we have previously introduced and detailed in the draft CHP Strategy, will significantly help CHP. We will set out the full range of support measures in the Government's Strategy for CHP to 2010, which we intend to publish after the Easter Recess.