§ 27. Mr. Bennasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will grant permission for work to begin in the near future on the Severn barrage, in view of its importance to West Country and the nation.
§ Mr. Geoffrey LloydThe economic case for embarking on this project in present conditions is not established. Meanwhile, research is in hand on various unsolved technical problems, and experiments are being made on models to determine the effect of the barrage on Bristol Channel ports.
§ Mr. RentonIs my right hon. Friend aware that I asked the same Question in 1946 and got approximately the same answer?
§ Mr. HamiltonNo progress under the Tories.
§ Mr. NabarroWill my right hon. Friend bear in mind that at a very modest estimate this scheme would cost £200 million to save one million tons of coal a year, and that for a commensurate investment in other directions vastly greater coal economy could be achieved.