§ 37. Mr. Blackburnasked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the present approximate expenditure in this country on research and development projects concerning coal; what this expenditure amounts to per ton of the annual British coal output; and how this expenditure 1094 and the amount per ton compares with, that in Holland and the U.S.A.
§ Mr. GaitskellResearch and development concerning the utilisation of coal is undertaken by the Fuel Research Station of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, the British Coal Utilisation Research Association, which is supported largely by the National Coal Board, and other organisations such as the Gas Research Board and the British Coke Research Association. The total annual expenditure involved is about £450,000 or ½d. per ton of coal output. Comparable figures for Holland and the U.S.A. are not available. In addition, some £120,000 is spent annually by my Ministry on Safety in Mines Research.
The National Coal Board are carrying on research and development work on a considerable scale ranging from laboratory investigations into dust problems to the development of new mining techniques. No separate figures of expenditure by the Board on these matters are available, but I understand this subject will be dealt with fully in the Board's next annual report.