§ Mr. Dempseyasked the Secretary of State for Energy if Her Majesty's Government intend to support the proposal for a United Nations conference on new and renewable sources of energy.
§ Mr. BennYes. The United Kingdom co-sponsored the resolution of the 33rd session of the United Nations General Assembly which agreed to convene a conference in 1981, and the Government are at present actively considering how the United Kingdom can contribute to its preparatory work. Our support for the conference is in line with the commitment in the Bonn summit communique to cooperate in developing a co-ordinated effort to bring into use renewable energy technologies in the developing countries, as well as with the new thrust in our aid programme on work on alternative sources of energy for Third world countries which my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Overseas Development announced on 29 July last year.