§ 9. Mr. MaplesTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what initiatives his Department is taking to develop commercially viable and environmentally acceptable forms of renewable technology.
§ Mr. Peter MorrisonThe Government are supporting a major research and development programme aimed at developing commercially viable and environmentally acceptable renewable energy technologies to contribute to future energy supply.
§ Mr. MaplesHow many such projects are there and to what extent are private sector companies involved in them?
§ Mr. MorrisonThere are some 300 or so such projects. We hope to see another 60 or 70 come on stream this year. They are very much joint ventures between the public and private sectors.
§ Mr. PikeDoes the Minister recognise that, with the privatisation of gas and electricity, measures on renewable sources of energy and environmentally positive moves will 9 always come second to the profit motive and market forces? If we are to have positive moves in such a direction, will the Government do much more?
§ Mr. MorrisonI remind the hon. Gentleman of the non-fossil fuel obligation. We have had 339 applications under that obligation, which are to be reviewed; that shows that, with the privatisation of electricity, renewables will be encouraged.
§ Mr. Barry FieldWhat reassurance can my right hon. Friend give that our beautiful coastline will not be littered with great big windmill generators under this programme? Having recently refused to endorse such a programme for Tennyson Down, I should not like to see my right hon. Friend become a modern-day Don Quixote.
§ Mr. MorrisonThat is a blandishment which I find it difficult to resist. The normal planning application procedure will apply, but my hon. Friend makes a fair and reasonable point.