§ 52. Mr. E. J. WILLIAMS (for Mr. D. L. DAVIES)asked the Lord President of the Council the number of persons employed in the coalfields of Great Britain in connection with the analysis and correlation of coal seams conducted by the Government or under its auspices, giving the areas in which such work is being carried out?
§ The LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL (Mr. Ramsay MacDonald)The Fuel Research Staff of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research employed in the coalfields of Great Britain in connection with the analysis and correlation of coal seams numbers 61. In addition, the equivalent of five men on the staff of the Lancashire and Cheshire Coal Research Association are similarly employed in accordance with a contract with the Department. The Geological Survey of Great Britain, which is a sub-department of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research deals with the geological aspects of correlation; and at the present time, the mapping of coalfields and correlation of coals form the major part of the work of some 20 members of its staff. The two organisations maintain a very close contact and work is now in progress in the coalfields of Scotland; Northumberland and Durham; Cumberland, Lancashire and Cheshire; Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire; South Derbyshire; North Staffordshire; Warwickshire; North Wales; South Wales; and the Forest of Dean. Some work has also been done in the Kent and Bristol coalfields.
§ Mr. MacDONALDYes, I think so.