§ Mr. Skinnerasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will encourage firms operating in the North Sea to establish installations producing methyl tertiary butyl ether for use as an alternative to lead additives.
§ Mr. GrayI would welcome the establishment in the United Kingdom of installations producing methyl tertiary butyl ether, so long as they are economic, whoever is the
Gross inland consumption* of primary fuels and equivalents—United Kingdom million tonnes of oil or oil equivalent Year Total Coal Petroleum Natural gas Nuclear electricity Hydro electricity 1977 208.7 72.2 90.0 36.9 8.4 1.2 1980 199.8 71.1 78.3 41.4 7.8 1.2 * Includes non-energy use of petroleum and natural gas. Sources: Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics—1981 edition—and Energy Trends—December 1981 edition.
My Department is currently engaged in preparing new energy projections. These will be available in time for the Sizewell inquiry. The new projections will provide a range of possible, further requirements dependent, inter alia, upon future levels of general economic activity, energy prices and supply decisions yet to be taken, rather than a single projection of primary fuel requirement for each of the fuels listed.