§ 10. Mr. CorbynTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is his Department's expenditure on (a) renewable energy research and (b) fossil fuel energy research in 1990–91; and what is the equivalent figure for 1978–79.
§ Mr. MoynihanExpenditure in 1990–91 on renewable energy research was £20.8 million, and on coal research £11.4 million. The equivalent figures for 1978–79 were £3.6 million and £1.2 million respectively.
§ Mr. CorbynGiven that the Government have now launched a campaign to try to offset the effects of global warming by the use of non-fossil fuels and renewable energy sources, does the Minister accept that there should be a substantial increase in research into renewable energy sources, of which this country has many? Secondly, will he give us——
§ Mr. SpeakerOne question, please.
§ Mr. CorbynThis is part of the same question, Mr. Speaker. While the Minister is replying to the earlier part of my question, will he give the House the figures for the amount of money that is spent on nuclear research, which takes up 75 per cent. of his Department's research budget, is a deeply pollutive form of energy generation and which, frankly, is something which he should be more keen on phasing out, so that he can transfer those resources and invest them in research on renewable energy sources for the future?
§ Mr. MoynihanI reject the hon. Gentleman's comment about nuclear power. There is absolutely no reason why expenditure on renewables research and development should bear any proportional relationship to nuclear expenditure. Each energy technology requires a different level of investment to carry out the necessary R and D and to develop it for commercial use. However, I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for asking this question, because it has provided the House with an opportunity to learn that we have record levels of R and D expenditure on renewables.