§ 25. Mr. HARDIEasked the President of the Board of Education whether he can state what progress has been made since May last by the Bergius process for the extraction of oil from coal?
§ Lord E. PERCYWork on the Bergius process has continued steadily at the Fuel Research Station and the results have confirmed that large quantities of liquid fuels can be obtained from coal by this process. A beginning has been made in the investigation of the whole question of the action of hydrogen on coal under different conditions, and interesting results are being gradually accumulated. There can be no doubt about the interest and importance of the process referred to by the hon. Member, but, as the House is aware, it is no part of the duties of the Department to offer opinions on the purely commercial aspects of the inventions which it makes or investigates.
§ Mr. HARDIEWhy has the Department gone so far out of its way to investigate a German system—though I do not disagree with that—when English systems have been left without aid in the matter of investigation?
§ Lord E. PERCYThe hon. Member must not assume that to be the case. If he wants to know what other investigations, besides this are being carried out, I suggest that he should put down a question.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYWhat is done with the results of the investigations—with the information?
§ Lord E. PERCYA very full statement on the subject was made by my Noble Friend the Parliamentary Secretary this summer, to which I would refer the hon. and gallant Member.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYI was aware of that statement, but is it not obvious to the Noble Lord that these results are not being taken any notice of by the commercial interests involved?
§ Lord E. PERCYNo, I do not think that is obvious at all. If the hon. and gallant Member would like to know what notice has been taken of them, I suggest that he should put down a question.
§ Mr. WILFRID PALINGIs it intended to publish the results of this process or experiment?
§ Lord E. PERCYThe hon. Member had better put down a question if he wants to know about publication.
Commander WILLIAMSIs there any communication between the Noble Lord and the Board of Trade with a view to advertising and making known the results of these inquiries in his Department?
§ Lord E. PERCYThey are not in my Department. As my hon. and gallant Friend knows, this Department of Industrial Research is under the Lord President of the Council. As to advertising, I think my hon. and gallant Friend will realise that it is very important that the Government should not in any way commit themselves to an opinion as to the commercial possibilities of any process of this kind.