§ 47. Major OWENasked the Prime Minister whether he will consider the appointment of a small temporary commission to arrange for the co-ordination of research into the most scientific utilisa- 3009 tion of coal; whether it is now possible to make such utilisation of coal a commercial proposition to be dealt with by the Government in the same way as the production of hydro-electrical power or, alternatively, by the creation of a national corporation?
§ The SECRETARY for MINES (Commodore Douglas King)The Fuel Research Board of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is already conducting research into fuel economy questions and giving technical advice to other investigators of these problems wherever possible. Any attempt at closer co-ordination of private research would in my opinion do more harm than good. I am not prepared to express an opinion about the commercial possibilities of the numerous new processes now under investigation.