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Biofuels: Subsidies

Volume 460: debated on Friday 18 May 2007

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent (a) in the UK and (b) in the EU on subsidies for biofuels in each year since 1997. (137517)

These totals are not available in the form requested.

However, the UK Government’s support for biofuels has, to date, come mainly in the form of fuel duty incentives. A 20p per litre fuel duty incentive was introduced for biodiesel in 2002 and for bioethanol in 2005. Detailed information on the level of biofuel sales that these duty incentives have supported in each year since 2002 is available via the HM Customs and Revenue website at www.uktradeinfo.com/index. cfm?task=bulloil The figures in the following table set out the total amount of duty that has been foregone on biofuel sales because of these incentives.

Cost of 20p per litre incentive (£ million)

Pre-2002

0

2002

0.6

2003

3.8

2004

4.2

2005

23.6

2006

52.8

Other forms of Government support for biofuels (including, for example, support for research and development programmes) are summarised in a series of annual UK reports to the European Commission, available on the Commission website at http://ec.europa.eu/energy/res/legislation/biofuels_members _states_en.htm This website also contains summary details of the support for biofuels provided by other member states and by the Commission.