§ 8 and 9. Mr. Eadieasked the Minister of Technology (1) what part his Department has played during the last 12 months in the technology of derivatives from coal;
§ (2) to what extent his Department has been involved in experiments of extracting sulphur on the sites of coal-fired power stations; and if he will make a statement.
§ The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Technology (Dr. Jeremy Bray)The Ministry's Warren Spring Laboratory is investigating processes for 929 the recovery of sulphur from flue gases, but not specifically in relation to power stations. The Central Electricity Generating Board is concerned with the application of such processes to power stations, and there is close collaboration between the Board and the Laboratory. The Department is doing no other work on derivatives from coal because no prospects of economic operation are foreseen.
§ Mr. EadieI am grateful to my hon. Friend for his reply. Does he agree that it makes the case for a complete re-examination of the whole question of derivatives from coal, that it indicates to some extent that the Report of the Wilson Committee on Coal Derivatives in 1960 is now dated, and gives grounds for examination forthwith of the use of one of the only raw materials we have in this country in anything like abundance?
§ Dr. BrayThe Ministry of Power is responsible for research on coal products in the first place. My hon. Friend would be mistaken if he supposed that its verdict on coal products would be different from that of the Wilson Committee. There is no case for sulphur removal as a source of sulphur, but the sale of by-product sulphur could cut the cost of reducing air pollution.