HL Deb 21 May 1974 vol 351 cc1324-5

3.9 p.m.

LORD CLIFFORD OF CHUDLEIGH

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the estimated thirty-five years' limit of world oil supplies given in July, 1973 (H.L. Debates, Vol. 344, col. 1137) has been reviewed by the present Government, and what is their estimate.

LORD JACQUES

My Lords, we would generally endorse the estimate made in July, 1973. It was derived from dividing known world reserves by an annual rate of consumption. The estimate thus takes no account of probable future discoveries of oil or of new techniques to derive larger supplies from oil reserves. It takes no account of the change in the trend of demand for energy. Equally, it takes no account of the changes in price and their effect on the recovery of oil and the rate of consumption.

LORD CLIFFORD OF CHUDLEIGH

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for his reply, may I ask him whether he read the debates that we had in your Lordships' House on November 7 and December 5, when practically all the speakers were unanimous in suggesting that some form of high-powered committee should be set up as a matter of urgency to examine alternative fuel sources and supplies? Can the noble Lord tell us whether something like that has been done? If not, why not?

LORD JACQUES

My Lords, I do not think that question arises from the noble Lord's original Question; but to the best of my knowledge nothing has been done.

LORD CLIFFORD OF CHUDLEIGH

My Lords, if I brought to the House a car driven by home-made methane gas from chicken and pig manure and with a carburettor attachment, as invented by my fellow Devonian, Mr. Harold Bate, would the noble Lord accompany me on a drive and then encourage the sewerage plants in this country to go over to producing methane gas as an alternative fuel?

LORD SHEPHERD

My Lords, the two supplementary questions of the noble Lord hardly arise from the original Question on the Order Paper. If he wishes to pursue the matter may I suggest that he puts down a Question for answer on another day.