§ 70. Mr. C. EDWARDSasked the Secretary for Mines what proportion of the 130,000 granted by the late Government to the Fuel Research Board has been expended, and to what purpose?
§ The PRESIDENT of the BOARD of EDUCATION (Lord Eustace Percy)As the question relates to work falling within the province of the Scientific and Industrial Research Department, I have been asked to reply. The £30.000 referred to 243 was intended as an ultimate expenditure on problems connected with the survey of the coal seams. Progress is being made with the work as rapidly as possible. The rate of expenditure must depend largely on the co-operation of the various coalfields. The expenditure under existing local committees has been materially increased, negotiations for the establishment of committees in other coalfields are actively in progress, and plans have been approved at the Fuel Research Station for new plant costing, approximately, £15,000.