§ Mr. David Priceasked the Minister of Technology if he will give an up-to-date list of the non-nuclear projects on which the Atomic Energy Authority is at present working, showing the current annual expenditure, the number of qualified personnel, and the geographical location of each.
§ Mr. CousinsThe Atomic Energy Authority's expenditure in the financial year just ended, on non-atomic projects, was as follows:
Poole on 26th October, last. The work falls under three main headings:
- (1) the improvement of the technical and economic efficiency of the multistage flash process for the distillation of sea water, in collaboration with Weir Westgarth Ltd. The study and design of dual purpose nuclear plant for the production of electricity and the supply of steam for desalination came under this heading;
- (2) the development of the electrodialysis process as an alternative to distillation for the conversion of brackish water, in collaboration with W. Boby Ltd.;
- (3) the study of alternative processes such as reverse osmosis and freezing. Work on the physical chemistry of the former has made significant progress at A.E.R.A., Harwell; the feasibility studies of the latter are being assessed.