§ Mr. G. Johnson Smithasked the Minister of Power how much money is being spent on research into ways and means of reducing the cost of placing electricity lines underground; and what progress has been made.
§ Mr. FreesonIn the current year's research and development programme of the Electricity Council and the Boards roughly £1,300,000 is being spent on transmission and distribution, and of this about 20 per cent. is spent on underground cables. In addition a large amount of research is done by manufacturers.
With regard to the second part, I would refer the hon. Member to the Central Electricity Generating Board's Annual Report for 1966–67 and to the Board's Statistical Yearbook which I am sending to him.