§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list the alternative energy strategies stating the projected expenditure on each; and whether it is the Government's intention to discontinue further research and development of any one of them.
§ Mr. John MooreThe aim of the R and D programme on renewable forms of energy is to assess the nature and scale of the various resources and the extent to which they might contribute to the United Kingdom energy supplies economically. The estimated outturn expenditure on renewable R and D projects in 1980–81 is:
£'000's Wind 772 Wave 3,316 Geothermal 2,248 Solar 789 Tidal 1,409 Conservation R and D 229 Biofuels 242 Total 9,005 The work of the Severn Barrage committee is now complete. No further work on tidal power will be initiated until the committee's report has been considered thoroughly. My Department has no plans to reduce expenditure on any of the other topics. Detailed projections of expenditure are not available because it is the nature of R and D programmes that priorities should be reviewed continuously in the light of progress.