§ 23. Mr. Frank Cookasked the Secretary of State for Energy what plans are in train for the establishment of power generation by nuclear fusion; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Buchanan-SmithMy Department is supporting a national programme of research into fusion carried out at the Atomic Energy Authority, and the United Kingdom is hosting a joint European Torus experiment, both as parts of the Euratom fusion programme. However, because of the scientific and engineering complexities involved, it will be a long time before we know whether or not reliable economic power generation from fusion is feasible.