§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will publish a list of all initiatives that are currently planned or operating which will exploit tidal power.
§ Mr. EggarThe Department's tidal energy programme is now being completed. Remaining work consists mainly of generic studies of the impact of tidal barrages on the environment.
Specific studies are being completed on steel-concrete sandwich composite for use in tidal barrages, mud transport in shallow water, fish deterrence, estuary sediment prediction, bird populations and mesocosm studies.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of the non-fossil fuel obligation fund is allocated to(a) nuclear power, (b) wind power, (c) geothermal power, (d) tidal power and (e) other renewable energy sources.
§ Mr. EggarThe level of payments to the individual technologies contracted under the non-fossil fuel obligation, and financed by the fossil fuel levy, depends on the contracts which the regional electricity companies sign in fulfilment of the NFFO orders, on the amounts of electricity generated under these contracts, and the market price of electricity. The Director General of Electricity Supply has estimated that in 1993–94 around 6 per cent. of the amount raised by the fossil fuel levy will go to renewables generators.