Written question asked by Barry Sheerman (Labour) on Thursday, 27 January 2000, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Friday, 4 February 2000. It was answered by Patricia Hewitt (Labour) on Friday, 4 February 2000 on behalf of the Department of Trade and Industry.

Dept of Trade and Industry

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what impact the climate change levy will have on the profitability and competitiveness of the wood particleboard and wood fibreboard industry. - Inc ref to Pre-Budget Report and figures.

Answer: Mr. Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what impact the climate change levy will have on the profitability and competitiveness of the wood particleboard and wood fibreboard industry. [107939] Ms Hewitt: The Government's goal remains to design and implement the levy in a way which safeguards competitiveness while maximising its environmental benefits. The wood particleboard and fibreboard industry, together with other sectors, will benefit from the proposals announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his 9 November 1999 Pre-Budget Report, including: the lower overall rates of the levy; the exemptions for electricity generated from new forms of renewable energy and good quality combined heat and power plants; and the trebling of support for energy efficiency measures under the levy package. In addition, those wood particleboard and fibreboard industry sites that are covered by the Integrated Pollution Prevention Control Directive, as defined by reference to Part A of the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulation, will be eligible for an 80 per cent. discount from the levy if they sign up to a negotiated agreement to improve energy efficiency or deliver emissions reductions that meet the Government's criteria.

Secondary information