Research and Development Investment

HC Deb 23 February 1989 vol 147 cc711-2W

Mr. Flynn

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will publish a table of comparable annual research and development investment in renewables by Organisation of Economic, Co-operation and Development countries and a table showing the number of renewable energy research projects undertaken annually in each EEC member state since 1979.

Mr. Michael Spicer

The table gives the expenditure on renewable energy research projects by OECD countries in 1987.

Country	£ million
Canada	6.94
United States	77.33
Australia	0.49
Japan	57.33
New Zealand	0.22
Austria	2.11
Belgium	2.56
Denmark	2.44
Germany	38.89
Greece	4.22
Ireland	0.27
Italy	18.06
Netherlands	11.33
Norway	1.39
Portugal	0.89
Spain	7.80
Sweden	8.39
Switzerland	6.33
Turkey	0.27
United Kingdom	15.05

Notes:

1. 1. This information was derived from the IEA 1987 Review, Energy Policies and Programmes of IEA Countries, published in 1988.
2. 2. For the United Kingdom the table includes expenditure on renewable energy R and D by Department of Energy, Department of Trade and Industry, Natural Environmental Research Council and the Science and Engineering Research Council.

No information is available on the number of renewable energy research projects undertaken annually in each EEC member state since 1979. This information has not been collected in the past by the Commission but it is currently considering setting up a database of information on member states R and D programmes. In the case of the Department's programme, over 250 projects are currently underway with 70 to 80 new projects being initiated each year.