§ 28. Mr. THORNEasked the Minister of Agriculture whether he can state the fertilising properties of blast-furnace slag when ground to a powdered form; and whether blast-furnace slag can be used by the farmers to fertilise the land?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI am advised that blast-furnace slag may contain a small percentage of lime; but investigations have shown that the use of such slag as a fertiliser is not an economic proposition.
§ Mr. THORNEIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that something like 30 years ago about 2,000 tons of slag were bought at a place in Derbyshire by a firm and was found to contain useful fertilising properties?
§ Mr. ELLIOTI am not acquainted with all the details as far back as that, but it is true that slag has certain valuable fertilising qualities. I am merely saying that it is not economic to do it as things stand at present.
§ Mr. LAWSONCan the right hon. Gentleman tell the House what kind of slag it is? Is it the kind referred to by the hon. Member for Stockton (Mr. Macmillan) recently?