HC Deb 12 November 1973 vol 864 cc13-4W
Mr. Warren

asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total amount of money spent by Her Majesty's Government on research and development into civil nuclear power generation in each of the last 10 years; and what is the budgeted figure for 1973.

Mr. Emery

In full commercial cost terms, net expenditure by the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority in the last 10 years on power reactor research and development was:

£ million
1963–64 53.2
1964–65 48.8
1965–66 50.9
1966–67 51.9
1967–68 42.0
1968–69 41.3
1969–70 43.3
1970–71 41.9
1971–72 46.6
1972–73 48.7
In addition, the authority has contributed £12.6 million to international projects, principally the OECD Dragon project.

Of the current year's grant to the authority, some £42.5 million relates to net expenditure on power reactor research and development and associated work. This is equivalent to some £50 million in full commercial cost terms. In addition, my Department expects to spend approximately £10 million this year in support of the gas centrifuge process for enriching uranium.

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