To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change with reference to paragraph 7.4.6 of the UK Renewable Energy Strategy consultation document, what recent assessment he has made of greenhouse gas emissions associated with biomass in relation to the reporting requirements of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change on carbon-neutral energy sources. (264736)

[holding answer 19 March 2009]: The UK Government’s National Inventory Report to the UNFCCC is due on 15 April. This will provide estimates of historical emissions, by sector, including biomass until 2007.

An assessment of the impact of announced policies by sector will be included in our UK 5^th National Communication to the UNFCCC, which we hope to publish this summer.