§ Mr. Rostasked the Secretary of State for Energy what proportion of the budget projected by the EEC on the collaborative thermonuclear fusion research and development project is now expected to be spent in the United Kingdom, compared with what was anticipated before his recent decision to withdraw United Kingdom support for the collaborative Dragon project.
§ Mr. BennAgreement has not yet been reached on the budget for the Euratom thermonuclear fusion programme for 1976–80. It is, therefore, not possible to say what proportion of the budget will be spent in this country. The OECD Dragon project is not a fusion project and has no bearing on the decisions to be made on the Euratom fusion programme.
§ Mr. Rostasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) when he expects to discuss with the Council of Ministers the future of the collaborative thermonuclear fusion research and development project; and what representations he proposes to make to ensure that the project is based in the United Kingdom;
(2) if a decision has yet been taken on where the EEC collaborative nuclear fusion research project is to be based;
(3) what plans he has for the future of the nuclear fusion research work at Culham if the EEC collaborative fusion research project is based in Italy.
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§ Mr. BennThe Joint European Torus (JET) project is expected to be discussed at the next Council of Research minutes. No decision has yet been taken on the project or its site. The Government will continue to urge the merits of Culham as the best site for the project.
The fusion work at Culham forms part of the Euratom co-operative fusion programme. Its continuation is not dependent on JET being sited there.
§ Mr. Rostasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he has any evidence that his decision to withdraw United Kingdom support for the collaborative EEC Dragon project will influence the decision as to whether or not the collaborative EEC thermonuclear fusion research and development project will be based in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. BennNo. Dragon is not an EEC project but an OECD high temperature fission reactor experiment. It has no connection with the Joint European Torus (JET), which forms part of the Commission's proposals—not as yet approved—for the Euratom five-year thermonuclear fusion research programme for 1976–80.
§ Mr. Rostasked the Secretary of State for Energy what representations he has made to the Council of Ministers in support of siting the Community nuclear fusion research programme at Culham.
§ Mr. BennThe Commission's proposal on the site for the JET project has not yet been discussed formally by the Council of Ministers, but we have made it clear that we regard Culham as the best site.
§ Mr. Rostasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the estimated United Kingdom share of the cost of the JET nuclear fusion research programme over the next five years; and if United Kingdom participation will continue on the same projected scale if the project is not sited in the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. BennOn the basis of the Commission's proposals—not yet approved—the United Kingdom share of the cost of JET would be nearly £12 million over the five calendar years 1976–80, where-ever the project were sited.