§ 62. Mr. W. R. DUCKWORTHasked the Secretary for Mines the amount of motor spirit produced in this country in the year ended 31st December, 1935, by hydrogenation or low - temperature carbonisation processes, from coal or coal derivatives, from alcohol, shale, or from any other home source of supply; whether any, and, if so, how much, of this motor spirit is subject to taxation; and whether it is sold at the same or a lower price than imported motor spirit?
§ The SECRETARY for MINES (Captain Crookshank)Statistics of the production of motor spirit in this country during 1935 from coal and shale or from derivatives of those substances are not yet available, but it is estimated that the production amounted to about 75,000,000 gallons. As regards the production of power alcohol in this country, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury to the hon. Member for Bradford South (Mr. Holdsworth) on 12th March. With regard to the second and third parts of the question, motor spirit produced from coal and shale indigenous to this country is not subject to taxation, and so far as I am aware such motor spirit is sold at the same prices as similar grades of imported motor spirit.