To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) supported into energy production through (i) fermentation, (ii) microbial fuel cells, (iii) anaerobic digestion, (iv) gasification and (v) pyrolysis of sewage. (134790)

My Department has not commissioned or supported any research into these methods of energy production, as they are well established and successful technologies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what incentives are in place to encourage water companies to invest in energy production from sewage waste. (134792)

The Government's key mechanism for encouraging renewable electricity generation is the renewables obligation (RO) which will provide around £1 billion per year of support to the renewables industry by 2010. Sewage gas and (subject to certain conditions) biomass waste, which could be sewage or sewage sludge, are eligible under the RO.