§ 1. Mr. Formanasked the Secretary of State for Energy what plans his Department has for increasing the national effort in the fields of alternative and benign sources of energy.
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Energy (Mr. Alex Eadie)The House has already been informed, in Answers to Questions on 29th April and 22nd July, of the programmes for wave power and geothermal energy, and work under these is now proceeding. I hope to be able to announce our plans for solar energy soon.
The United Kingdom is also participating in the research programmes of the European Communities and the International Energy Agency.
§ Mr. FormanI am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that answer. Does he accept that it still shows a lack of urgency on the part of the Department and the Government as a whole regarding these alternative sources? Will he consider stepping up investment in research and development of these sources, as I believe that they will not only be valuable in themselves but will offer great export potential in countries which are more blessed with sunshine than ourselves?
§ Mr. EadieTaking the last part of the hon. Gentleman's question first, it is true that these resources will be extremely valuable. Incidentally, the EEC views coincide with the general views and policy of the United Kingdom on these resources.
450 What the hon. Gentleman said about the impetus behind this effort is not necessarily true. The money that we are planning to spend is sufficient to enable us to carry out the research programmes required to establish the potential of new sources of energy. The hon. Gentleman will know that it is calculated that by the year 2000 between 6 per cent. and 8 per cent. will be available from alternative sources.
§ Mr. Jim MarshallDoes my hon. Friend agree that, whilst it is necessary to continue to develop and invest in so-called alternative and benign sources of energy, at least until the end of the century we shall still be dependent on oil-based fuel plus nuclear power and that, in view of the need to conserve Britain's and the world's oil and the environmental factors surrounding the use of nuclear power, far greater emphasis must be placed on the existing coalfields in this country, together with the need to exploit newly discovered coalfields as a matter of urgency?
§ Mr. EadieI could not agree more. We have 300 years' supply of coal in this country. Any country which has such resources will naturally want to exploit them in the interests of the community as a whole.