§ Mr. Llew SmithTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what steps he has taken to reassess his Department's policy announcement on 31 March 1994 on the future funding for wave energy,Official Report, columns 1009–10, following the subsequent decision of the European Commission to fund the wave power device designed by Queen's university, Belfast.
§ Mr. Charles WardleThe Government's strategy for the development of new and renewable energy in the United Kingdom was published on 31 March 1994 as Energy Paper No. 62, copies of which are in the Libraries of both Houses. Resources will be concentrated on key technologies with good prospects of commercial application in the coming decades—such as solar, energy from coppice and waste, wind and fuel cells. The existing work on wave energy will be completed, but no further commitments undertaken, as this technology has limited potential to contribute commercially to energy supplies in the next few decades. A watching brief on wave energy developments, including the work of Queen's university, Belfast, will be maintained. The progress of the programme and the prospects for the technologies are regularly reviewed.