§ Sir John Biggs-Davisonasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the purpose of the recent official visit to the Federal Republic of Germany by the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Brent, North (Dr. Boyson).
§ Dr. BoysonI made a one-day fact finding visit to gain firsthand experience of German lignite development in the Cologne area. Continuous opencast mining methods have been developed over the last 30 years so that the six lignite fired power stations in this area now provide one third of all West Germany's electricity. The Northern Ireland operation would be much smaller, but there is much we can learn from the German experience. I was impressed by the efficient yet sensitive way in which mining and restoration has taken place and the impact that the cheaply produced electricity is having in encouraging industrial and commercial growth.