asked the Secretary of State for Energy what breeding or conversion ratios have been achieved by fast breeder reactors in (a) each EEC country, (b) the United States of America and (c) the USSR.
I understand that the only sizeable fast reactor which has operated in the EEC countries, apart from the United Kingdom, is the Phenix reactor in France for which a breeding ratio of 1·16 has been reported. Existing experimental fast reactors in the USA and USSR have breeding ratios close to unity. The breeding ratio of a fast reactor is to a significant extent a consequence of the choice of design. Future reactors are Communities, are the latest readily available:
| Subsidy in units of Accounts* per tonne of Coal Production: 1974 | |||
| Belgium | … | … | 14·77 |
| France | … | … | 10·99 |
| Germany | … | … | 3·99 |
| United Kingdom | … | … | 1·30 |
* In 1974, one unit of account represented approximately £0·53 sterling.
asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is the current market price per ton of coal in each of the following countries: Great Britain, France, West Germany, Holland, Belgium, Poland and Spain.
Price comparisons between countries are difficult because of differences in quality, terms of sale and other conditions. However the following list compiled by the Commission of the European Communities illustrates the spread of European prices:expected to achieve values of 1·2 or greater.