§ MR. NIELD (Middlesex, Ealing)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury if he will state approximately the amount of fees received during the past three years by the National Physical Laboratory in respect of work of the class which, prior to the establishment of the Laboratory, was carried out at Kew; and whether this branch of the work done at the Laboratory was self-supporting in the sense that the Kew establishment was, with the aid of the Gassiott fund.
§ MR. RUNCIMANI am informed that the fees received during the past three years for work of the class which previously to the establishment of the Laboratory was carried on at Kew, excluding, that is, merely chemical tests and the ordinary engineering tests on materials of construction, have amounted to £3,680 13s. 8d., £4,225 12s. 9d. and £4,645 3s. 9d. respectively. The Answer to the second part of the Question is in the negative. The character of the work conducted at the two establishments is so different that I do not think a fair comparison can be made.