HC Deb 13 December 1982 vol 34 cc12-3
13. Mr. Rost

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what steps he is taking to encourage the growth of industrial combined heat and power schemes.

Mr. Mellor

The Energy Bill will positively encourage such schemes. It will remove legislative constraints and establish for the first time a statutory framework for fair dealings between the operators of these schemes and the public electricity supply industry.

Mr. Rost

Will my hon. Friend confirm that much of industry is rightly complaining about uncompetitive energy prices and is now regarding the Energy Bill as a means of providing an alternative opportunity for producing their own heat and power more economically than by using existing nationalised industries? Will my hon. Friend give more publicity to the opportunities that the Energy Bill will provide for fair competition in the private sector?

Mr. Mellor

The Bill was embarked upon after careful consultation with various industries and their representatives. We have every reason to believe that there is a demand for the new regime created by the Bill and we shall give it all the publicity that we can.

Mr. Hooley

Since the Secretary of State has taken an unusually intelligent decision not to proceed with the fast breeder reactor, is it not possible to divert funds from wasteful expenditure on nuclear methods to increased public support for combined heat and power?

Mr. Mellor

I do not know where the hon. Gentleman gets his information from, but what he said about the Government's statement on fast breeder policy is an absolute travesty. The merits of CHP are clear and established and are not advanced by people using them as a stalking horse for anti-nuclear sentiment.