HL Deb 18 May 1982 vol 430 cc595-7

2.42 p.m.

Lord Tanlaw

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 it is their intention to accept without question the Advisory Council on Research and Development for Fuel and Power (ACORD) recommendations that most alternative energy R&D programmes, including wave power, should be terminated or drastically curtailed.

The Minister of State, Scottish Office (The Earl of Mansfield)

My Lords, my right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Energy has taken account of advice from the Advisory Council on Research and Development for Fuel and Power, and of other representations received, and has approved a programme of research and development into renewable energy which will involve the expenditure of some £11 million to £12 million in the current financial year. The programme concentrates efforts on the most promising and practical areas—especially wind energy and geothermal energy.

Lord Tanlaw

My Lords, while thanking the noble Earl the Minister for his Answer, may I ask whether he will now say whether the Government will reject the advice given by the advisory council on the basis that it was a non-representative decision due to the managers of the research programmes being no party to it, and that the research programmes themselves have not reached the stage of proper evaluation?

The Earl of Mansfield

My Lords, my right honourable friend is being advised on the effects of the deliberations of the committee. There is no doubt about it but that the summary of the report of the committee which has been placed in both Libraries of the Houses of Parliament has attracted a lot of attention. The effect of my right honourable friend's deliberations will be that the more sensible options will be continued and the more useful forms of research and development will be continued and possibly enhanced. Those which appear to be less useful will be curtailed.

Lord Strabolgi

My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl whether it is true that there was a cut last year in the fusion research project and, in view of the importance of this project to our future energy needs, will he confirm that there will be no further cuts (if there was one)?

The Earl of Mansfield

My Lords, the total amount which is to be spent on renewables is in the region of £11 million to £12 million. That figure compares with £2.5 million spent in 1978–79. I am afraid that I have no further information as to the actual figures of costs.

The Earl of Lauderdale

My Lords, can my noble friend tell the House whether, among the less useful renewable energy resources now being put aside, is wave energy? Can my noble friend tell the House whether it is the case that at least one wave energy scheme being developed at Lancaster University has, in preliminary studies, got the price down to 5p per kilowatt hour?

The Earl of Mansfield

My Lords, so far as the first part of my noble friend's supplementary question is concerned, I can confirm that wave power is regarded as being a less useful form of research, but I have no information as to the actual costs.

Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos

My Lords, may I ask the noble Earl about the preliminary design study for the Severn Barrage which, as he will recall, was recommended by the Bondi Committee and to which he referred when he wound up the debate on the Severn Barrage in February? Then, the noble Earl said that this was under consideration by the Government. Can he now say whether the Government have come to a conclusion, because there was a consensus in this House that it should be set up and the country is looking forward to hearing what the Government have to say about it?

The Earl of Mansfield

My Lords, I am aware of the concern felt by the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos, and by the House as to the Severn Barrage. I can tell the noble Lord that the advisory council, ACORD, has nothing to do with the Severn Barrage. The consideration which my right honourable friend is giving to the Bondi Report is quite separate and apart, and this decision has absolutely nothing to do with that.

The Earl of Lauderdale

My Lords, can my noble friend go further and tell the House whether or not it is the case that the wave energy studies at Lancaster University have achieved the design target that was set, or is that untrue?

The Earl of Mansfield

My Lords, I am afraid that I do not have that information, but if I can obtain it I will write to my noble friend.

The Earl of Cromartie

My Lords, may I ask my noble friend the Minister whether he is aware that when the North of Scotland Hydroelectric Board was formed, it was formed with the definite undertaking that it would be for the benefit of the Highlands? Unfortunately, that fact has been forgotten for a number of years, but is my noble friend aware that the closure of the Corpach pulp mills and, more latterly, the smelter at Invergordon is very largely due to the appalling price of electricity—when in the Highlands we have five other areas available for hydroelectric power and where the cost of production is as low as one can get?

The Earl of Mansfield

My Lords, the Government have been giving almost unceasing attention to the problems which have been thrown up—if that is the phrase—by the closure of Corpach pulp mills and the smelter at Invergordon. My right honourable friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has been giving this matter close personal attention, and I know that my noble friend will realise that there are hopeful signs. Having said that, I must tell my noble friend that his supplementary question goes quite beyond the scope of the original Question.

Lord Tanlaw

My Lords, is the noble Earl aware that the private sector members of ACORD, who co-operated with the Government in good faith in the belief that renewable energy sources were part of the Government's policies, will be disappointed by the noble Earl's reply? Will he also say whether there will be simultaneous cuts in the Department of Energy of a balancing kind, to match those which are being made by the Government in renewable energy sources?

The Earl of Mansfield

My Lords, if I may say so, the cuts are modest; naturally one would prefer none, but this is a matter of general Government policy. I can tell the House that very considerable expenditure, as I have said, is continuing to be incurred on renewable energy, and a number of quite exciting research projects of very different types are continuing to take place.