§ 14. Mr. Skeffingtonasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works, as representing the Lord President of the Council, what experiments the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is carrying out to create a fully automatic factory.
§ Mr. BevinsThe National Physical Laboratory is conducting experimental work on electronic computers, and on methods for the electronic control of machine tools. The Department is keeping in touch with developments at home and abroad.
§ Mr. SkeffingtonDoes the Minister realise the very considerable progress that has been made in this field in the United States, and will he give every encouragement to the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research by, if possible, allocating extra finance?
§ Mr. BevinsYes, Sir. My noble Friend certainly does not underrate the great 1716 importance of this work, but the limiting factor at the moment is the difficulty of getting the highly-specialised staff.
§ Mr. WoodburnIs the Minister aware that work of this kind is also going on in Edinburgh and that, according to our information, we are not at all behind the United States in this matter? Indeed, the United States admit that in many departments we are ahead of them.
§ Mr. BevinsYes, that is so.