§ Mr. Beggsasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the latest estimated tonnage of lignite reserves in the Ballymoney area of North Antrim; what evaluation his Department has made of their potential for commercial development; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. BoysonThe results of an exploratory shallow drilling programme, commissioned by the Department of Economic Development, were made available in November 1984 for purchase by the mining industry so that it can apply for prospecting licences by 28 June 1985 and undertake the detailed investigation and further exploration that will be necessary to evaluate the precise size of deposits and their economic and commercial potential. Until this work has been done, it will not be possible to provide a precise estimate of lignite deposits in the Ballymoney area.
§ Mr. Beggsasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department's programme of research into the use of Crumlin lignite for fuelling power stations has been completed; and if he will make a statement.
§ Dr. BoysonStudies commissioned by the Department of Economic Development, to establish the uses to which Northern Ireland's indigenous lignite might be put, highlighted the potential benefit to be derived from using lignite as a fuel source for the generation of electricity. A detailed test programme is also necessary to establish the technical and economic criteria for using lignite in electricity generation. This test programme, which is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Electricity Service, is currently under way and will continue for some time.