§ 2. Mr. SternTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assumptions he made as regards availability of pumped storage and capacity in his evidence to the Energy Select Committee in arriving at the conclusion that a Severn barrage could amount to 14 TWH/year of electricity.
§ The Minister of State, Department of Energy (Mr. Peter Morrison)The assumptions derived from the previous published study by the Severn tidal power group. These are being updated in the current study, which will be published in a few months' time.
§ Mr. SternI am grateful to my right hon. Friend for that reply. How confident is he of the accuracy of the predictions on which the study is based? Will he ensure that not only the conclusions of the study, but the scientific data on which they are based, will be published?
§ Mr. MorrisonAs I said, the assumptions derive from the previous study. Another study is taking place and the figures produced in the interim report— it is only an interim report— on the Hinckly inquiry were a little more than the figures that I gave. which were 14 TWH per annum. That is interim, and I shall certainly publish what my hon. Friend has asked for.