§ 29. Sir John Mellorasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if his attention has been drawn to the accumulation of washery slurry, amounting to over 10,000 tons and covering over three acres of agricultural land at Sandwell Park colliery, West Bromwich; and whether, in view of its 50 per cent. content of combustible matter, this slurry has been offered to power stations and brickworks.
§ Mr. ShinwellThe washery slurry accumulated at Sandwell Park Colliery, West Bromwich, has been offered regularly to consumers in general. Unfortunately, owing to the very poor quality of this slurry, which has a combined moisture and ash content of over 50 per cent., markets have been found for only a small tonnage.
§ Sir J. MellorDoes the right hon. Gentleman recollect that last July his Department regarded this slurry as being sufficiently combustible to attract a levy of 15s. per ton under the Coal Charges Order which was then in force? If the position now is as he has just stated, his Department took the wrong view last July.
§ Mr. ShinwellWe have used a great deal of this slurry to make briquettes, but some of it is of inferior quality and transport costs are so excessive that it is hardly worth troubling about.