§ Mr. TynanTo ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money her Department spent on research and development(a) of wind power, (b) into sources of renewable energy and (c) of wave power in each year since 1995. [59728]
§ Mr. WilsonThe Department of Trade and Industry has spent the following amounts on research and development through its Sustainable Energy Programme:
£ million Wind power Wave power All sources of renewable energy (including wind and wave power) 1995–96 4.2 0.1 19.2 1996–97 3.0 0.1 14.4 1997–98 1.7 0.0 13.0 1998–99 1.4 0.2 11.3 1999–2000 1.2 0.0 12.5 2000–01 1.3 0.5 13.1 2001–02 1.7 1.0 13.54 The DTI also supports research and development on sustainable energy technologies through the Research Councils and their work would be additional to the figures in the table.
Provision for research and development through the Sustainable Energy Programme increases to £19 million for 2002–03, and through the Research Councils to 971W £5.6 million. Additionally, the DTI has been assigned a further £5 million over three years for wave and tidal demonstration projects.
Including R+D and capital grants, the Government have set up programmes totalling £260 million to bring forward new renewable energy technologies. In addition the Renewables Obligation will create a new market of around £1 billion per year by 2010.