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House
Session
Year
Department
Member
Primary member
Answering member
Legislative stage
Legislation
Subject
More
Publisher
Type
Select Committee reports; House of Commons papers;
Parliamentary committees
Committee
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Subjects
Climate change; Biofuels; Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs; Environment Agency; Treasury; Royal Society of Chemistry; Shell; Ford Motor Company; Friends of the Earth; Biomass Task Force; Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders; WWF-UK; Scottish Renewables Forum; Biofuels Corporation; Biosciences Federation; Energy for Sustainable Development; Margarine and Shortening Manufacturers Association
Commons Library location
Research Sc 662.669,P, CS 412
Date
18 September 2006
Reference
HC 965 2005-06
House
House of Commons
Which of the recommendations made by the Biomass Task Force in October 2005 are to be accepted; what the timetable will be for implementing them; and what funding will be available.
Which of the recommendations made by the Biomass Task Force in October 2005 are to be accepted; what the timetable will be for implementing them; and what funding will be available.
Asked by
Baroness Byford
(Conservative)
Answered by
Lord Rooker
(Labour)
Type
Written questions
Status
Answered
Answered on
25 July 2006
The majority of the 42 recommendations made by the biomass task force in October 2005 have been accepted fully or in principle. The remaining recommendations are being considered further, in some cases pending the outcome of ongoing reviews, such as the waste strategy review.
The Government have identified 65 actions to take forward the recommendations of the biomass task force; most of these actions should be implemented by April 2007. A number of actions will, by necessity, continue beyond that date, such as the five-year capital grant scheme for biomass boilers and CHP systems.
The majority of the measures proposed by the biomass task force require no additional funding. Among those actions that do, funding has been announced for the five-year capital grant scheme of £10 million to £15 million over the first two years. This funding will also support an additional round of the bio-energy infrastructure scheme. The level of funding for the continuation of support for the establishment of energy crops under the new rural development programme for England has yet to be finalised; it will be subject to EU and Government decisions on rural development funding.
Subjects
Biofuels; Finance; Biomass Task Force
Date
25 July 2006
Reference
6931; 684 c242WA
House
House of Lords
The Department, in close liaison with the Department of Trade and Industry, is actively engaged in driving forward the implementation of all the actions in the Government’s response to the Biomass Task Force report.
The Department, in close liaison with the Department of Trade and Industry, is actively engaged in driving forward the implementation of all the actions in the Government’s response to the Biomass Task Force report.
Answered by
Ian Pearson
(Labour)
Asked by
Alasdair McDonnell
(Social Democratic & Labour Party)
Answering body
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Type
Oral answers to questions
What actions fall to be taken by his Department in the implementation of the Government’s response to the recommendations of the Biomass Task Force.
Subjects
Biofuels; Biomass Task Force
Date
20 July 2006
Reference
449 c446
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
Yes, the Government are seriously committed to increasing biomass production. Our biomass capital grant scheme is allocating between £10 million and £15 million over the next couple of years; £66 million has been allocated to develop markets in biomass combined heat and power electricity generation and £80 million is available for microgeneration, which will include biomass technologies. There is a range of projects that we believe can come on stream. We would like to see the prediction in Ben Gill’s report that biomass could actually meet 6 per cent. of heat and electricity generation by 2020 fulfilled.
Yes, the Government are seriously committed to increasing biomass production. Our biomass capital grant scheme is allocating between £10 million and £15 million over the next couple of years; £66 million has been allocated to develop markets in biomass combined heat and power electricity generation and £80 million is available for microgeneration, which will include biomass technologies. There is a range of projects that we believe can come on stream. We would like to see the prediction in Ben Gill’s report that biomass could actually meet 6 per cent. of heat and electricity generation by 2020 fulfilled.
Answered by
Ian Pearson
(Labour)
Asked by
Alasdair McDonnell
(Social Democratic & Labour Party)
Answering body
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Type
Oral answers to questions
I thank the Minister for his answer, but are the Government seriously committed? What serious capital grant is available for the biomass supply chain, whether from crops, trees or waste?
Subjects
Biofuels; Biomass Task Force
Date
20 July 2006
Reference
449 c446
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
Biomass has greater potential to replace fossil fuels than biofuels, in the short term at least, yet it attracts little attention and less publicity. Have the Government made an assessment of the establishment grants paid to farmers and landowners to plant biomass, such as short-term coppice crops and miscanthus? Although I understood that the bio-energy infrastructure scheme was taking no further applications, the Government have stated that they might take a further round of applications? Will the Minister make a statement about that?
Biomass has greater potential to replace fossil fuels than biofuels, in the short term at least, yet it attracts little attention and less publicity. Have the Government made an assessment of the establishment grants paid to farmers and landowners to plant biomass, such as short-term coppice crops and miscanthus? Although I understood that the bio-energy infrastructure scheme was taking no further applications, the Government have stated that they might take a further round of applications? Will the Minister make a statement about that?
Asked by
Roger Williams
(Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Oral questions - Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
20 July 2006
I have already outlined a number of schemes that the Government are introducing to help to encourage the growth of the biomass sector. The hon. Gentleman is right to point out the importance of biofuels, too. We need an increase on the current generating figures of 1 per cent. of heat and 1.85 per cent. of electricity from biomass sources, and we can achieve that by helping to stimulate the market through Government measures.
As for the grant schemes for the growing of, for instance, miscanthus and short rotation coppice, they have been part of the rural development programme. We are negotiating and agreeing with the Commission a new rural development programme and we want to see encouragement for biomass as part of that programme.
Subjects
Biofuels; Biomass Task Force
Date
20 July 2006
Reference
449 c446-7
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
Will the Minister join me in paying tribute to the work of Ben Gill, who is a constituent of mine in the Vale of York? Will he recognise that that work must now progress with some urgency, given that the British Sugar factory in York is due to close next year? The issue is not just about willow coppice—as the hon. Member for Selby (Mr. Grogan) said—but about exploring ways of turning sugar beet into bioethanol. That work must now proceed with some urgency.
Will the Minister join me in paying tribute to the work of Ben Gill, who is a constituent of mine in the Vale of York? Will he recognise that that work must now progress with some urgency, given that the British Sugar factory in York is due to close next year? The issue is not just about willow coppice—as the hon. Member for Selby (Mr. Grogan) said—but about exploring ways of turning sugar beet into bioethanol. That work must now proceed with some urgency.
Asked by
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
(Conservative)
Answering body
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Oral questions - Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
20 July 2006
I certainly pay tribute to the work of Sir Ben Gill. I had the pleasure of taking part in a meeting at the Royal show, which Ben chaired. In his typical, robust manner, he explained the importance of biomass to the future of agriculture across the United Kingdom. There are strong opportunities for the farming community to do more in the biomass sector. The hon. Lady mentioned sugar beet. She will probably be aware of a current project in Norfolk that is looking to grow sugar beet to produce bioethanol. That should come on stream in the near future. With the renewable transport fuels obligation coming into force from 2008 to 2010, there will be big opportunities for growers to contract supply to people who will generate biofuels.
Subjects
Biofuels; Biomass Task Force
Date
20 July 2006
Reference
449 c447
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
I have already outlined a number of schemes that the Government are introducing to help to encourage the growth of the biomass sector. The hon. Gentleman is right to point out the importance of biofuels, too. We need an increase on the current generating figures of 1 per cent. of heat and 1.85 per cent. of electricity from biomass sources, and we can achieve that by helping to stimulate the market through Government measures.
As for the grant schemes for the growing of, for instance, miscanthus and short rotation coppice, they have been part of the rural development programme. We are negotiating and agreeing with the Commission a new rural development programme and we want to see encouragement for biomass as part of that programme.
I have already outlined a number of schemes that the Government are introducing to help to encourage the growth of the biomass sector. The hon. Gentleman is right to point out the importance of biofuels, too. We need an increase on the current generating figures of 1 per cent. of heat and 1.85 per cent. of electricity from biomass sources, and we can achieve that by helping to stimulate the market through Government measures.
As for the grant schemes for the growing of, for instance, miscanthus and short rotation coppice, they have been part of the rural development programme. We are negotiating and agreeing with the Commission a new rural development programme and we want to see encouragement for biomass as part of that programme.
Answered by
Ian Pearson
(Labour)
Asked by
Roger Williams
(Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Type
Oral answers to questions
Biomass has greater potential to replace fossil fuels than biofuels, in the short term at least, yet it attracts little attention and less publicity. Have the Government made an assessment of the establishment grants paid to farmers and landowners to plant biomass, such as short-term coppice crops and miscanthus? Although I understood that the bio-energy infrastructure scheme was taking no further applications, the Government have stated that they might take a further round of applications? Will the Minister make a statement about that?
Subjects
Biofuels; Biomass Task Force
Date
20 July 2006
Reference
449 c446-7
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
If the hon. Gentleman looks in detail at the energy review, he will see that biomass features in the section on renewables and the section on transport. I repeat that the Government are taking forward a wide programme of action when it comes to biomass. We have identified some 65 actions that we need to take as a Government in response to Sir Ben Gill’s report. We are getting on with it. We believe that the biomass market is growing and we have in place a package of measures to ensure that we help to stimulate further that demand.
If the hon. Gentleman looks in detail at the energy review, he will see that biomass features in the section on renewables and the section on transport. I repeat that the Government are taking forward a wide programme of action when it comes to biomass. We have identified some 65 actions that we need to take as a Government in response to Sir Ben Gill’s report. We are getting on with it. We believe that the biomass market is growing and we have in place a package of measures to ensure that we help to stimulate further that demand.
Answered by
Ian Pearson
(Labour)
Asked by
Martin Horwood
(Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Type
Oral answers to questions
I agree with the Minister’s comment that there is a lot more that the Government can do in this area. On reflection, is not the Minister slightly embarrassed that the energy review made only the briefest mention in passing of small and medium-scale biomass and bioenergy generation, despite increasingly clear evidence that that smaller-scale generation offers a more efficient, economical, decentralised and secure renewable source? It has huge potential, as the Biomass Task Force rightly identified. Is it not true that in the area of biocrops and bio-energy, even the United States under George Bush is doing more on the ground than this Government?
Subjects
Biofuels; Biomass Task Force
Date
20 July 2006
Reference
449 c447-8
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
As a Government, we do not particularly take a view on whether miscanthus or short-rotation coppice or other biomass sources—for instance, woodchip—are favoured. We have a regime in place that will encourage the further development and growth of the biomass sector in the future. We believe that there is a lot more that the Government can do to encourage and stimulate the growth of renewables in this country and that renewables must be a vital part of our future energy mix.
As a Government, we do not particularly take a view on whether miscanthus or short-rotation coppice or other biomass sources—for instance, woodchip—are favoured. We have a regime in place that will encourage the further development and growth of the biomass sector in the future. We believe that there is a lot more that the Government can do to encourage and stimulate the growth of renewables in this country and that renewables must be a vital part of our future energy mix.
Answered by
Ian Pearson
(Labour)
Asked by
John Grogan
(Labour)
Answering body
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Type
Oral answers to questions
Following on from the earlier question, are the Government now looking more favourably at wood coppice rather than miscanthus? Is that the Government’s policy? There are some fears among growers that that is the way that the Government are going.
Subjects
Biofuels; Biomass Task Force
Date
20 July 2006
Reference
449 c447
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
I thank the Minister for his answer, but are the Government seriously committed? What serious capital grant is available for the biomass supply chain, whether from crops, trees or waste?
I thank the Minister for his answer, but are the Government seriously committed? What serious capital grant is available for the biomass supply chain, whether from crops, trees or waste?
Asked by
Alasdair McDonnell
(Social Democratic & Labour Party)
Answering body
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Oral questions - 1st Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
20 July 2006
Yes, the Government are seriously committed to increasing biomass production. Our biomass capital grant scheme is allocating between £10 million and £15 million over the next couple of years; £66 million has been allocated to develop markets in biomass combined heat and power electricity generation and £80 million is available for microgeneration, which will include biomass technologies. There is a range of projects that we believe can come on stream. We would like to see the prediction in Ben Gill’s report that biomass could actually meet 6 per cent. of heat and electricity generation by 2020 fulfilled.
Subjects
Biofuels; Finance; Biomass Task Force
Date
20 July 2006
Reference
449 c446
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
I certainly pay tribute to the work of Sir Ben Gill. I had the pleasure of taking part in a meeting at the Royal show, which Ben chaired. In his typical, robust manner, he explained the importance of biomass to the future of agriculture across the United Kingdom. There are strong opportunities for the farming community to do more in the biomass sector. The hon. Lady mentioned sugar beet. She will probably be aware of a current project in Norfolk that is looking to grow sugar beet to produce bioethanol. That should come on stream in the near future. With the renewable transport fuels obligation coming into force from 2008 to 2010, there will be big opportunities for growers to contract supply to people who will generate biofuels.
I certainly pay tribute to the work of Sir Ben Gill. I had the pleasure of taking part in a meeting at the Royal show, which Ben chaired. In his typical, robust manner, he explained the importance of biomass to the future of agriculture across the United Kingdom. There are strong opportunities for the farming community to do more in the biomass sector. The hon. Lady mentioned sugar beet. She will probably be aware of a current project in Norfolk that is looking to grow sugar beet to produce bioethanol. That should come on stream in the near future. With the renewable transport fuels obligation coming into force from 2008 to 2010, there will be big opportunities for growers to contract supply to people who will generate biofuels.
Answered by
Ian Pearson
(Labour)
Asked by
Baroness McIntosh of Pickering
(Conservative)
Answering body
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Type
Oral answers to questions
Will the Minister join me in paying tribute to the work of Ben Gill, who is a constituent of mine in the Vale of York? Will he recognise that that work must now progress with some urgency, given that the British Sugar factory in York is due to close next year? The issue is not just about willow coppice—as the hon. Member for Selby (Mr. Grogan) said—but about exploring ways of turning sugar beet into bioethanol. That work must now proceed with some urgency.
Subjects
Biofuels; Biomass Task Force
Date
20 July 2006
Reference
449 c447
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
Following on from the earlier question, are the Government now looking more favourably at wood coppice rather than miscanthus? Is that the Government’s policy? There are some fears among growers that that is the way that the Government are going.
Following on from the earlier question, are the Government now looking more favourably at wood coppice rather than miscanthus? Is that the Government’s policy? There are some fears among growers that that is the way that the Government are going.
Asked by
John Grogan
(Labour)
Answering body
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Oral questions - Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
20 July 2006
As a Government, we do not particularly take a view on whether miscanthus or short-rotation coppice or other biomass sources—for instance, woodchip—are favoured. We have a regime in place that will encourage the further development and growth of the biomass sector in the future. We believe that there is a lot more that the Government can do to encourage and stimulate the growth of renewables in this country and that renewables must be a vital part of our future energy mix.
Subjects
Biofuels; Biomass Task Force
Date
20 July 2006
Reference
449 c447
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
I agree with the Minister’s comment that there is a lot more that the Government can do in this area. On reflection, is not the Minister slightly embarrassed that the energy review made only the briefest mention in passing of small and medium-scale biomass and bioenergy generation, despite increasingly clear evidence that that smaller-scale generation offers a more efficient, economical, decentralised and secure renewable source? It has huge potential, as the Biomass Task Force rightly identified. Is it not true that in the area of biocrops and bio-energy, even the United States under George Bush is doing more on the ground than this Government?
I agree with the Minister’s comment that there is a lot more that the Government can do in this area. On reflection, is not the Minister slightly embarrassed that the energy review made only the briefest mention in passing of small and medium-scale biomass and bioenergy generation, despite increasingly clear evidence that that smaller-scale generation offers a more efficient, economical, decentralised and secure renewable source? It has huge potential, as the Biomass Task Force rightly identified. Is it not true that in the area of biocrops and bio-energy, even the United States under George Bush is doing more on the ground than this Government?
Asked by
Martin Horwood
(Liberal Democrat)
Answering body
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Oral questions - Supplementary
Status
Answered
Answered on
20 July 2006
If the hon. Gentleman looks in detail at the energy review, he will see that biomass features in the section on renewables and the section on transport. I repeat that the Government are taking forward a wide programme of action when it comes to biomass. We have identified some 65 actions that we need to take as a Government in response to Sir Ben Gill’s report. We are getting on with it. We believe that the biomass market is growing and we have in place a package of measures to ensure that we help to stimulate further that demand.
Subjects
Biofuels; Biomass Task Force
Date
20 July 2006
Reference
449 c447-8
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
What actions fall to be taken by his Department in the implementation of the Government’s response to the recommendations of the Biomass Task Force.
What actions fall to be taken by his Department in the implementation of the Government’s response to the recommendations of the Biomass Task Force.
Asked by
Alasdair McDonnell
(Social Democratic & Labour Party)
Answered by
Ian Pearson
(Labour)
Answering body
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Oral questions - Lead
Status
Answered
Tabled on
17 July 2006
For answer on
20 July 2006
Answered on
20 July 2006
The Department, in close liaison with the Department of Trade and Industry, is actively engaged in driving forward the implementation of all the actions in the Government’s response to the Biomass Task Force report.
Subjects
Biofuels; Biomass Task Force
Date
20 July 2006
Reference
449 c446; 86603
Chamber / Committee
House of Commons chamber
House
House of Commons
Type
House of Commons papers; Select Committee oral evidence;
Parliamentary committees
Committee
Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee
Subjects
Climate change; Biofuels; Biomass Task Force; Gill, Ben
Date
19 April 2006
Reference
HC 965-iii 2005-06
House
House of Commons
Deposited by
Department of Trade and Industry
Type
Deposited papers
Author
Department of Trade and Industry; Biomass Task Force
Committed on
14 November 2005
Originated on
25 October 2005
Received on
14 November 2005
Subjects
Crops; Agriculture; Buildings; Biofuels; Biodiversity; Energy; Electricity generation; Landfill; Grants; Heating; Forestry; Government; Planning permission; Policy; Standards; Sustainable development; Renewable energy; Waste disposal; Waste; Timber; Rural areas; Regional development agencies; Agricultural products; Non-food crops; Biomass Task Force
Commons Library location
Research Sc 662.669,P
Lords Library location
HINF 2005/1913
Date
14 November 2005
Reference
DEP 05/1436
House
House of Commons