§ Mr. McCuskerasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many advance factories built in Northern Ireland since 1973 had oil-fired boilers; and how many had coal-fired boilers;
(2) how many factories owned by the Department of Economic Development (NI) have been converted from oil-fired to coal-fired boilers during the past 10 years.
§ Mr. ButlerA total of 44 advance factories of various sizes have been provided from public funds in Northern Ireland since 1973. All have been equipped with oil-fired boilers.
There have been no requests from tenants of factories owned by the Department of Economic Development and managed by the Industrial Development Board for conversion to coal-firing during this period. However, in line with the Government's policy to ensure wherever possible the efficient use of energy, the Industrial Development Board is reviewing its approach to heating installations in advance factories.