HC Deb 31 October 1944 vol 404 cc624-6
49. Mr. Salt

asked the Lord President of the Council what progress is being made with the national coal survey; and to what extent it has been extended to include all sources of energy and carbon compounds such as petroleum, lignite, peat, wood and charcoal.

The Minister of Fuel and Power (Major Lloyd George)

In the absence of the Lord President, I have been asked to reply. Over a number of years, the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, through the Physical and Chemical Survey of the National Coal Resources of the Fuel Research Organisation and the Geological Survey, has obtained data on the quality of the coal of the majority of the seams of this country and on their extent. Recently, in association with the Coal Commission and the Ministry of Fuel and Power considerable progress has been made with a survey to determine the amounts and qualities of our workable reserves of coal. It is intended to undertake more detailed surveys as necessary.

The exploration of the petroleum resources of this country is being carried out by various oil companies under licences from the Ministry of Fuel and Power. Only approximate data is available about the resources of lignite, peat, wood and charcoal, but these materials are economically of very much less importance than coal in this country. Special attention has been paid during the war to these materials as sources of carbon compounds.

Mr. Woodburn

Would my right hon. and gallant Friend take steps to see that the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research goes closely into this question of peat, as there are great resources of it which may be very valuable in years to come if use can be found for it?

50. Mr. Salt

asked the Lord President of the Council if he can give full and detailed particulars as to the research and development work now being carried out or planned in the United Kingdom into the more efficient utilisation of coal both as a source of fuel and as a raw material for the chemical industry; what is the present approximate expenditure on such work; and to what extent it is being held up by shortage of staff and equipment.

Major Lloyd George

In the absence of the Lord President, I have been asked to reply. In view of the length of the reply I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the reply:

Research and development work into the more efficient utilisation of coal both as a source of power and as a raw material for the chemical industry is being conducted by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, by industrial research associations and by the research departments of many individual firms. Plans for the expansion of this work after the war are being drawn up by that Department, by the research associations concerned, and, I understand, by a number of firms. The work of the Government and the research associations is being co-ordinated by the Standing Consultative Conference on Fuel Research recently set up by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on which the Ministry of Fuel and Power is represented.

It is not possible to give full and detailed particulars of the work being done in this very wide field within the scope of an answer of this kind, but my right hon. Friend will be glad to show my hon. Friend the work being done by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, and to invite the research associations concerned to do the same.

The estimated gross expenditure of the Fuel Research Organisation of the Department of Scientific and industrial Research for the current year is of the order of £145,000. In addition the total approximate annual expenditure by the three research associations most concerned, British Coal Utilisation Research Association, Gas Research Board, Coke Research Association, is at present about £300,000, of which about £63,000 is provided by the Government. Other bodies, such as the Electrical and Allied Industries Research Association and the Iron and Steel Re- search Council devote part of their efforts to work in this field. I have no estimate of the expenditure on this work incurred by individual firms. In present circumstances this work is, of course, considerably restricted by the need to devote available facilities to more urgent problems of war importance.