HC Deb 24 March 2000 vol 346 cc714-5W
Mr. Baker

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the budget allocation for renewable energy research made by his Department for each year from 1989–90 to 1999–2000; and what is his Department's expected expenditure for 2000–01. [115382]

Mrs. Liddell

[holding answer 21 March 2000]: Spend under the DTI New and Renewable Energy Programme, including research, development, dissemination and demonstration for the indicated years is shown in the table.

Year £ million
1989–90 17.9
1990–91 20.8
1991–92 24.8
1992–93 25.5
1993–94 25.2
1994–95 19.1
1995–96 18.18
1996–97 114.8
1997–98 110.9
1998–99 19.6
1 These figures allow for the payment and recovery of VAT

The budget allocation for 1999–2000, as announced in "New and Renewable Energy: Prospects for the 21' Century" (DTI, 1999), is £11.5 million. That for 2000–01 is £14 million and that for 2001–02 is £18 million.

In addition, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council currently funds 61 grants with a total value of £8.1 million for research in renewable and clean electricity generation. This includes the design and development of new plant and machinery for renewable and clean electricity generation (e.g. hydro, wave, solar, wind, and fuel cells). The EPSRC also launched a managed programme in 1999 entitled "Renewable and New Energy Technologies". This funds research in biomass, tidal current, wave, wind, solar, fuel cells, hydropower and energy from waste; it is also funding associated technologies such as grid interconnection and energy storage and recovery.

The commitment for new grants from 1993–94 to 1999–2000 and that planned for 2000–01 is as follows:

Year £ million
1993–94 1.6
1994–95 0.5
1995–96 1.9
1996–97 2.3
1997–98 3.1
1998–99 1.7
1999–2000 2.5
2000–01 2.5