§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy how much in real terms has been spent by the United Kingdom and other leading European Economic Community countries on alternative energy sources in each of the past five years.
§ Mr. John MooreThe table gives public expenditure in certain member States of the European Community on research into alternative energies over the period 1974 to 1978, the latest year for which figures are available on a comparative basis for the countries shown.
The basic data and exchange rates used in calculating these figures was drawn from Community sources and in particular from the European Communities publication "Inventory of 1976–1978 energy research, development and demonstration programmes and expenditure of Member States of the European Communities" (Doc. No. xii/1000/79-EN) which is in the Library of the House. The conversion to 1975 prices has been made using OECD inflation indicies.
I am arranging discussions of these different conclusions with FCRA and QMC, and with the soap and detergent industry to ask them what research is being undertaken in this field. It is not yet possible for me to evaluate the effect of cold water detergents on the United Kingdom economy.