HC Deb 20 April 1959 vol 604 cc5-7
16 and 18. Mr. Robens

asked the Paymaster-General (1) if he will make a statement on the Government's policy regarding substitution of imported liquid methane for coal in gas manufacture;

(2) what progress has been made on the reconstruction or new building of tankers for the transportation of liquid methane for the British gas industry.

Mr. Maudling

I cannot yet add anything to the reply given to the right hon. Member on 11th March.

Mr. Robens

Will the Minister be good enough to answer the Question which I put down on 11th March? It is similar to this Question and no reply was forthcoming.

Mr. Maudling

I think that the situation is as it was then, which is why the right hon. Gentleman has had the same Answer. We have had one trial shipment of liquid methane, but this is a novel and interesting experiment and we must obtain the results of the experiment before we determine what to do with the process.

Mr. Robens

Will the right hon. Gentleman answer the Question which I asked on 11th March about how many additional tankers are to be built or reconstructed for the transport of liquid methane to the British gas industry?

Mr. Maudling

We do not know how many to build until we know whether it will work or not.

Mr. Robens

Do I understand that no instructions have been given in American yards for the reconstruction of tankers or the building of new tankers for the carriage of liquid methane?

Mr. Maudling

That is certainly true. I am glad to deny any such rumours.

Mr. Palmer

Is the Minister aware that in the Press this morning there were statements that there have been special discussions between the Minister and the Gas Council on this issue? Is his noble Friend in favour of or against this policy?

Mr. Maudling

I think that the headline to which the hon. Member refers was a little more general in character, assuming that we are referring to the same newspaper. Certainly, my noble Friend is in consultation with the gas industry and the National Coal Board about the general question of the fuel used for making gas, but we are very much in the experimental stage of the use of liquid methane and no one can begin to assess the economic advantages or disadvantages of this process to the country as a whole until we have more technical knowledge.

Mr. Palmer

But in due course his noble Friend will make up his mind on the problem, I take it?

Mr. Maudling

That is my noble Friend's responsibility.

17. Mr. Robens

asked the Paymaster-General what is the amount of coal equivalent of a full cargo of liquid methane carried by the "Methane Pioneer"; and approximately how many round trips the ship can make in a year.

Mr. Maudling

About 5,000 tons and 7½ round trips.

Mr. Robens

When does the Minister feel that his noble Friend will be able to tell the House what precisely is to be the future policy in relation to the use of liquid methane in substitution for coal in the gas industry?

Mr. Maudling

When we have had three or four more trial voyages in order to be quite clear as to the technical possibilities, and when we have had a chance to assess the economic advantages one way or the other. It will be quite a long process.

Mr. Neal

Is it intended entirely to base the gas industry on imported products?

Mr. Maudling

No. The policy of the gas industry is to base its production of gas on those products which will enable it to give the cheapest possible gas to the consumer.

Mr. Robens

Will the Minister be good enough to convey to the Gas Council the importance which we on this side of the House at least attach to this whole experiment which is taking place and that, by and large, we regard the substitution of an imported fuel for an indigenous fuel as not a very good thing to do?

Mr. Maudling

The Gas Council has been doing extremely good work on this. I am sure that the Council will take very careful note of what the right hon. Gentleman has said.

Mr. T. Williams

In working out an economic comparison between gas and coal, will the Government also take into account the cost of redundancy in closing the mines?

Mr. Maudling

Yes. In considering what policy the Government should follow, that is one of the things which we certainly have in mind.