house of lords official report - United Kingdom Parliament

WS 69 Written Statements
[17 JUNE 2009]
Written Statements
WS 70
Written Statements
Wednesday 17 June 2009
Coal and Carbon Capture and Storage
Statement
The Minister of State, Department of Energy and
Climate Change (Lord Hunt of Kings Heath): My right
honourable friend the Secretary of State for Energy
and Climate Change (Ed Miliband) has made the
following Written Ministerial Statement.
I am today publishing a consultation on coal and
carbon capture and storage entitled A Framework for
the Development of Clean Coal.
In April, the Budget announced financing for up to
four CCS demonstration projects in the UK and, the
following day, I outlined proposals for a new regulatory
regime for new coal-fired power stations. Following
the statutory strategic environmental assessment, this
consultation document sets out the Government’s
proposals in more detail.
The aims of our proposals are to drive the
decarbonisation of our energy supply, to safeguard
our energy security and to get the best deal for consumers
and businesses. The conditions on new coal proposed
in this document are the most environmentally ambitious
of any country in the world, requiring the demonstration
of CCS on a substantial proportion of any new power
station and the 100 per cent retrofit of CCS when it is
proven.
The document also sets out for consultation the
process for funding and taking forward the demonstration
projects which will enable us to maintain coal as part
of our energy mix, supporting diversity and therefore
security of supply.
By acting early, we will ensure that jobs will also be
created as Britain develops the expertise in what could
be a major new industry, with CCS projects offering
the potential to form the hubs for clusters of low-carbon
industries.
By driving the development of CCS in this country,
we are also, as a country, playing an essential role in
tackling climate change. Coal is already widely used in
developed and developing countries and its use is
expected to grow further: 70 to 80 per cent of the
predicted growth in emissions in the coming decades
will come from developing countries unless we find a
route to low-carbon growth
Copies of the consultation have been placed in the
Library and it is available from www.decc.gov.uk.
EU: Telecoms Council
Statement
The Minister for Communications, Technology and
Broadcasting (Lord Carter of Barnes): Further to the
Written Statement concerning the positions that HMG
intended to take at the Telecommunications Council,
held on 11 June 2009, I am pleased to be able to report
back on the main conclusions and topics of discussion.
The Telecommunications Council took place on
11 June 2009 under the chair of the Czech presidency.
Andy Lebrecht, the deputy permanent representative
in Brussels, represented the United Kingdom. Much
of the discussion was taken up by two main items, an
informal and off-the-agenda discourse on the review
of the EU regulatory framework from electronic
communications networks and services and a formal
table-round on European network and information
security policy.
On the review after an introduction by the presidency
(in which it regretted that it had been unable to preside
over a final agreement), Commissioner Reding suggested
that, while she understood the concerns of member
states over the introduction of Amendment 138 (the
clause that would make any internet disconnection
subject to judicial review), she was more worried about
a delay in the adoption of the framework that would
occur if the council decided on a conciliation process.
In response, the vast majority of member states said
that they could not accept the EP amendment, some
noting that it potentially interfered with national
competencies. The UK noted that the amendment was
unacceptable both in legal and policy terms, noting
how it could constrain future decisions of the Government.
In terms of a future conciliation process, the vast
majority of member states (including the UK) indicated
their wish to see discussion limited to Amendment 138
with other (agreed) issues not being reopened. Most
member states were also happy to leave the question as
to whether council should reject the whole package or
just the better regulation directive, which contains
Amendment 138, to the presidency.
The presidency concluded that, while a majority
of member states wanted the framework adopted quickly,
there was a strong majority that rejected Amendment 138
and so the next step would be conciliation.
On the formal discussion on European network
and information security policy, Commissioner Reding
introduced the Commission’s communication by noting
that a breakdown in the critical telecoms infrastructure
in the next five years was more likely now as a result of
security flaws. She asked member states to take the
threat seriously and to reflect on the role that the
European Network and Information Security Agency
(ENISA) may need to take. She noted the Commission’s
intention to publish proposals concerning the reform
of the ENISA mandate by April 2010.
Following this, during a wide-ranging exchange of
views, the majority of member states endorsed the
need for a pan-EU (or even global) approach to
information security and for enhanced co-operation
between member states. All that spoke, with the exception
of the UK and Hungary, also called for ENISA’s term
and remit to be automatically extended. The UK,
while also welcoming the Commission’s approach,
noted that a future role for ENISA should be discussed
within the context of an overall policy discussion on
information and security and critical infrastructure
protection.
The council then moved on to three items under
any other business, the first of which was on “Internet
of Things—An Action Plan for Europe—Information
from the Commission”, where the Commission noted