§ Mr. AitkenTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether, in the light of current concern over peat extraction, his Department will reconsider the inclusion of peat on the Department's list of renewable energy sources.
§ Mr. MoynihanOver the past few years my Department has undertaken some limited research and development into the use of peat as an industrial fuel covering both the technical aspects and market potential of peat. Our recent studies have concluded that for industrial applications peat is not an economic proposition and the only real market for peat as a fuel is in the domestic sector (the traditional use of peat in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland). There is therefore no justification for the Department of Energy to fund further research in this sector once the results of the present studies have been published. Some of the data obtained about peat as part of our research programme should make a useful contribution to the conservation activities undertaken by organisations such as the Nature Conservancy Council and Royal Society for Nature Conservation.