§ Mr. Warrenasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will institute a programme to investigate the value of carbon fibre as a prime material in construction of land, sea and air transport vehicles.
§ Mr. David PriceResearch aimed at developing and funding applications for carbon fibre is carried out in the laboratories of the Department of Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Defence, the Atomic Energy Authority, British Rail and in Universities as well as by industry. At present the main applications foreseen lie in the aircraft field and potential uses both in airframes and aero engines are being sought since it is here that the greatest benefits from improved technical performance and weight saving can result. A very thorough examination has recently been made of potential224W applications for carbon fibres up to 1980 and a number of possibilities including applications to sea and land vehicles are being examined. The extent to which carbon fibre composites can replace traditional materials for these uses must depend on satisfactory long term technical performance and, in most cases, on a reduction in the cost of producing the fibre. Research with these objectives is already in progress.