§ Mr. MorganTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals he has to strengthen his Department's research and development programme in the energy efficiency field after the current financial year.
§ Mr. Heathcoat-AmoryWe will continue to develop the best practice programme which started in 1989. Expenditure on research, development, demonstration and dissemination of energy efficiency technology is planned to increase by some 14 per cent. in the coming financial year, and by further amounts in each of the succeeding two years.
The continuation of the development of best practice is in line with our commitments under the Environment White Paper "This Common Inheritance" and with the recent recommendations by the Advisory Council on Research and Development and the Advisory Council on Science and Technology.