§ 48. Mr. Harold Daviesasked the Lord President of the Council what expert committees at the present time are making a research into dust and lung diseases in the mines.
§ The Lord President of the Council (Mr. Herbert Morrison)Research in this subject is promoted by the Medical Research Council, advised by their Industrial Pulmonary Disease Committee and its subcommittees. The investigations are made 519 by the members of the council's staff constituting the Pneumoconiosis Research Unit at Cardiff.
§ Mr. DaviesIn view of the importance of this problem of silicosis and pneumoconiosis, and its relationship to recruitment to the mines, has the Minister powers to make further financial grants to aid this research? Will my right hon. Friend keep the House informed from time to time of the progress of this research?
§ Mr. MorrisonI understand that my right hon. Friend the Minister of Fuel and Power, so far as the last point of the question is concerned, has been doing that, and is in steady contact with the representatives of the miners and others concerned. With regard to the first point, if concrete schemes were put to me whereby research could be further developed with likely useful results, I should certainly be prepared to consider them.