§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what assessment his Department makes of the research and development programmes of each of the energy industries.
404W
§ Mr. WakehamMy Advisory Council on Research and Development for Fuel and Power (ACORD) reviews annually the R & D programmes of the electricity supply industry and British Coal. After privatisation, the successor companies will determine their own R & D programmes. However, discussions with the ESI will continue to ensure that, where necessary, the national interest in long-term electricity R & D is protected through Government promotion of specific activities.
My Department also collects and reviews information periodically on the R & D programmes of the oil and gas companies on the United Kingdom continental shelf.
§ Mr. DobsonTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what percentage of his Department's research and development budget was devoted to(a) coal-fired generation and (b) nuclear power, in 1979 and each succeeding year.
§ Mr. WakehamThe information requested is as follows:
Year Proportion of D/Energy R & D expenditure on: nuclear Per cent. coal technology Per cent. 1979–80 84.2 1.0 1980–81 85.1 1.2 1981–82 81.5 1.8 1982–83 85.2 1.2 1983–84 85.7 1.3 1984–85 84.6 0.3 1985–86 85.4 0.3 1986–87 83.0 1.0 1987–88 79.9 0.8 1988–89 81.3 0.7 Source: Annual Review of Government Funded R & D Percentage for nuclear prior to 1986–87 is based on D/Energy grant to the UKAEA for R & D
The difference in the proportions of R & D expenditure allocated to either technology reflects both the difference in scale and expense of the research effort involved, and also the fact that much coal technology R & D was (and is) carried out by British Coal, the electricity supply industry, and the private sector. The Government's policy is to support R & D only where that is necessary to ensure that work in the national interest is done to an appropriate time scale.