§ 41. Sir ARNOLD GRIDLEYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that at the iron and steel works of Messrs. William Dixon and Company, Limited, of Glasgow, a large volume of gas of high calorific value is being burnt to waste day and night; that such waste gas has been offered to the Glasgow Corporation for their gas department at a reasonable price and has been refused by them; will he state the grounds for their refusal; and whether he will be prepared to take any action in the matter?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANThis is one of the questions that are being investigated by a committee which I appointed last year to consider the possibility of co-ordinating the manufacture and distribution of gas in the West of Scotland.
§ Mr. SHINWELLCan the right hon. Gentleman say when this committee is likely to report, and whether he has taken into consideration the provision of a gas grid in the county of Durham?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANNo, Sir. The question which is on the Paper has no bearing on that. The committee has already completed the taking of evidence, and will shortly proceed with the drafting of its report.
§ Mr. SHINWELLWould it not be possible to submit to this committee the 1868 desirability of considering gas grids in other parts of the country?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANNot to this committee; it would have to be to another committee.
§ Mr. MAXTONWill the right hon. Gentleman answer that part of the question which asks whether he can state the grounds for the refusal?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI cannot state any grounds which will appear in the report, because I have not received the report. I doubt very much whether it is completed.
§ Mr. MAXTONSurely the Glasgow Corporation could tell him the simple fact that the reason why they declined this supply is that they have an adequate supply of their own?