HC Deb 07 February 1979 vol 962 cc187-8W
Mr. Maurice Macmillan

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what information is available to him of the amount of money spent or authorised by the Government of France and the Federal Republic of Germany on research into alternative energy sources in each of the past four years.

Mr. Benn

The latest available information is contained in a publication of the Commission of the European Communities (EUR 5911) on Science and Technology entitled "The comparison and co-ordination of national policies and programmes in the energy research and development sector ".

This was published in 1978 and gives figures for 1974, 1975 and 1976. Research and development expenditures for new energy sources, including thermonuclear fusion, converted into national currencies are:

FRG million DM FRANCE million Ff
1974 80.7 80.3
1975 93.0 127.3
1976 105.9 168.2

A copy of the publication has been laid in the Library of the House.

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