§ 23. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Fuel and Power what satutory powers are possessed by his Department for acquiring or entering upon agricultural land for the purposes of conducting experiments or schemes for the gasification of underground seams of coal; what disturbance to agricultural land is entailed by the gasification process; and what compensation for damage and for losses, whether consequential or otherwise, will be paid to farmers and landowners when their land is used for gasification purposes.
§ Mr. P. Noel-BakerUnder the Defence Regulations, I have the power to requisition land for the underground gasification of coal. But this power has not yet been used in the experiments which have so far been begun; the farmers and landowners concerned have been most co-operative in every way. The disturbance to agricultural land is small, since the top soil is neither displaced nor heated. If loss or damage should occur, proper compensation will, of course, be paid; the precise terms have not yet been agreed, but I am confident that no difficulty will arise.
§ Mr. NabarroWill the Minister assure the House that more generous terms will be provided in these circumstances than have been given in the past for compensation for opencast workings?
§ Mr. Noel-BakerThe terms were settled with the National Farmers' Union.
§ Colonel Gomme-DuncanCan the Minister say how coal from opencast coal Mines can be obtained without the top soil being disturbed?
§ Mr. Noel-BakerThis is underground gasification.
§ Mr. BaldwinWhat is the effect of gasification when it takes place underneath dwelling-houses? Is there any likelihood of subsidence?
§ Mr. Noel-BakerWe have not yet had experience of that. As the seams which have so far been explored are, I understand, 15 to 18 inches in width, I think that the effect would be very small.
§ 24. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Fuel and Power to make a statement upon the progress of experiments for underground gasification of coal seams being conducted at Newman Spinney, near Chesterfield; the industrial and commercial applications and value of the gas derived; the scale of the gas output; and whether any extensions of such gasification projects are contemplated in the Midlands or elsewhere.
§ Mr. P. Noel-BakerMost encouraging results were obtained in 1950 in the experiments at Newman Spinney in the underground gasification of coal; they have been fully described in a paper published in the Journal of the Institute of Fuel, of which I am sending the hon. Member a copy. During the last five months, the work at Newman Spinney has been mainly in preparation for further trials. Other experiments will be made in various places. Trial borings have started at Bayton in Worcestershire; but it has not yet been decided that actual gasification shall begin.
§ Mr. NabarroCan the right hon. Gentleman give the House any indication of the capital expenditure involved upon these gasification experiments during the course of, say, the next two years, and is such expenditure included in the Coal Industry Bill which is now passing through this House?
§ Mr. Noel-BakerAny such expenditure is borne partly by the Coal Board and partly by my Department. This is measured in tens of thousands of pounds, and it may be more in the forthcoming years, but it is of the highest possible importance because it may mean the utilisation of thousands of millions of tons of coal which would otherwise be useless.