Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty’s Government what action they are taking to follow up the letter from the Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Industry of Germany received on 4 November 2014 offering £15 million to support a collaborative United Kingdom–German geothermal research and development project at the Eden Project; and whether they intend to support that project and an application for European Regional Development Fund funding in the second and third quarters of this year.

The Government replied to the German Minister last year, expressing support for the principle of testing the technology in this area of crystalline rock, and welcoming the potential for joint working with the Eden Project and Cornwall County Council.

Deep geothermal research and development will be a priority investment in the European Regional Development Fund programme for 2014-20, and is a component within Cornwall and Isle of Scilly’s European Structural and Investment Funds strategy.