41. Mr. A. RAMSAYasked the Lord President of the Council if he is prepared to make available to the House the latest report of the Fuel Research Board on the commercial possibilities of producing oil from coal by the processes of low-temperature carbonisation and of hydrogenation?
§ The LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL (Mr. Baldwin)The commercial possibilities of the processes referred to by the hon. Member can only be assessed after reasonably large-scale experiments are carried out under commercial conditions and labour and other costs carefully determined, and in general the Fuel Research Board has not been in a position to do more than report upon technical progress made, and to indicate the factors upon which commercial success depends. As regards low temperature carbonisation, of which process oil is not the main product, the economic factors which must be taken into consideration vary according to local conditions, such as the cost of raw material available, the price and markets for the products—coke, gas and tar—cost of labour, etc., as well as of the capabilities of the particular type of plant. The general question is discussed in the Annual Report of the Fuel Research Board for the year ended the 31st March, 1931. The results of tests on a number of plants have been published from time to time. I am sending the hon. Member a list of the reports on these tests, which give technical data from which a judgment can be made of the suitability of the plant for any set of local conditions. The Fuel Research Board have not reported in detail on the commercial possibilities of the hydrogenation process, though a reference to the matter will be found in the Annual Report of the Board for the year ended the 31st March, 1932.
Mr. RAMSAYAs my right hon. Friend is aware, there is great public interest in this matter. Does he not think that progress is much more likely to be made if the Government would make it clear whether or not they are prepared to support financially the development of the matter?