§ 18. Sir ARTHUR FELLasked the President of the Board of Trade if any action is being taken to develop the use of pulverised coal for smelting and power purposes; is he aware that the use of pulverised coal is spreading rapidly in the United States and that the smelting works of the Steel Trust use this method only; if poor coal and coke and small coal can all be used by this process; and if there is, approximately, a saving of from 25 per cent to 30 per cent. in its use?
§ Sir A. GEDDESConsiderable development is taking place in the use of pulverised coal for smelting and power purposes in this country as well as in the United States. I am unable to say whether the saving is as high as that suggested in the last part of the question.
§ Sir A. FELLIs the Government considering the question of making available all their information in regard to this most important subject?
§ Sir A. GEDDESI quite agree as to the importance of it. We are having a great many observations made as to the present composition of pulverised coal. As soon as we have got a satisfactory basis to work upon we shall take action.
§ Mr. D. HERBERTIs not a great deal of the difficulty in the way of the use of this small coal owing to the fact of the increased prices being all at a flat rate small coal cannot be used profitably?
§ Sir A. GEDDESThat is to a certain extent perfectly true; that is one of the things that I informed the House a fortnight ago we were reviewing. That, however, is not the main difficulty, which is to find out the best way of using pulverised coal which is rather different from small coal.