asked the Secretary of State for Energy if his Department is conducting or sponsoring any research into the use of biomass from the sea, such as seaweed, for energy production.

My Department, as part of its solar biological R. & D. programme, has carried out desk studies to determine what opportunities exist for conversion of organic matter—biomass—from the sea to solid, liquid or gaseous fuels. The findings of these studies indicate that prospects for the technical exploitation of biomass from the sea to produce fuel at an economic price compared with other fuels available are not sufficiently attractive to merit mounting a full-scale R. & D. programme. As with all our programmes to develop renewable sources of energy, my Department is keeping this area of work under review and is prepared to reconsider priority levels if new information comes to light which shows the biomass from sea resource to have more promise.