§ 40. Mr. AtkinsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he has any plans to further encourage the private sector to research sources of alternative energy.
§ Mr. Michael SpicerEnergy paper 55, published in June 1988, laid out a strategy for encouraging the private sector to become involved in research, development and demonstration activities and eventually take these functions over from Government. The strategy is aimed at ensuring the full and timely commercial development of those renewable technologies shown to be economic, environmentally acceptable and capable of making a contribution to United Kingdom energy supply. It envisages a collaborative programme to the late 1990s involving Government and the manufacturing and energy supply industries to achieve the twin aims of encouraging and promoting the commercialisation of those technologies which are economically attractive, and reducing the uncertainty in the economics of those technologies currently classed as promising but uncertain so that, where possible, they become economic and confidence is created in them.
Already 20 per cent. of the cost of our programme is met by external contributions and we expect this proportion to grow over the next few years as the private sector increases its involvement.