§ 80. Sir W. SUGDENasked the Minister of Health if he will give special research and scientific assistance to individual industrial firms who, desiring to limit to the very smallest limit the output of black smoke, not always being able to use electrical power, have not to the present time any engineering solution to such problem?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI will gladly give what assistance is possible, having regard to the limited staff of the Department. The local council is the smoke authority, and application should be made to them in the first instance. I am advised that efficient stoking is one of the first requirements.
§ Sir W. SUGDENWill the right hon. Gentleman see that there is better co-operation between industrial firms and his Department in respect to this matter as at present what is being done is purely academic and departmental?
§ Mr. HARDIEIs it not the fact that you cannot expect industrial firms to do more than they are doing so long as you supply raw coal, and that no betterment can come until you treat the coal in the open before you use it by taking out the smoke, and selling the residues as ammonia and oil?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINIn regard to the first supplementary question the matter obviously concerns both industrial concerns and my Department and I have offered to do all I can. As to the second question, I think it is quite clear that if you remove all smoke from coal before you consume it there will he no smoke.