§ 26. Mr. Eadieasked the Minister of Power if he still estimates that in 1975 North Sea gas and nuclear power will be making the contribution to fuel supplies published in the White Paper last November.
§ Mr. FreesonI have nothing to add at this stage to the information published in the White Paper on Fuel Policy (Cmnd. 3438) and the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for the Don Valley (Mr. Kelley) on 12th March.—[Vol. 760, c. 247.]
§ Mr. EadieIs my hon. Friend aware that the Minister is on record as having made the statement that by 1975 there will be only 3,000 million cubic feet of gas landed per day? This is a difference of 1,000 million cubic feet compared with the White Paper. Furthermore, nuclear power is 18 months behind schedule. Does my hon. Friend think that there will be an opportunity, as we are talking about 12½ million tons, to make a statement to the miners and their sons to give them some confidence to remain in the mining industry?
§ Mr. FreesonThe statement to which my hon. Friend has referred has not, to my knowledge, been made by my right hon. Friend. The impact of natural gas is more likely to be felt by the oil industry than the coal industry. This has been said before, and I repeat it again today.
§ Mr. LaneWould not this be a suitable subject for discussion by a Select Committee of this House? Will the Minister give his support to the proposal by the Select Committee on Science and Technology that there should now be established a Select Committee on Energy Policy?
§ Mr. FreesonThis matter is being dealt with by correspondence between my right hon. Friend and the Chairman of the Committee concerned. I must leave it with him.