HL Deb 06 February 1974 vol 349 cc771-2
LORD WAKEFIELD OF KENDAL

. My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress is being made in the underground process of coal gasification.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR ENERGY (LORD CARRINGTON)

My Lords, the National Coal Board are taking a fresh look at the prospects for underground gasification in this country as a very long-term possibility.

LORD WAKEFIELD OF KENDAL

My Lords, while thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask him whether he is aware that his Answer will give considerable satisfaction? Is he further aware that since work was undertaken there have been considerable technical developments in other spheres of activity which may now make the gasification of coal underground a viable commercial proposition? Is he also further aware that there is extensive work on this process going on in America at the present time; and that in Russia a great deal of work on this problem was done until easily obtainable natural sources of energy were found? For all these reasons, will my noble friend press on with the very important research and development work which is still required?

LORD CARRINGTON

Yes, my Lords, I will give that undertaking. I think that there still are some technical problems about the whole problem of gasification, and I think it would be undeniable, too, that there are environmental problems; but this is certainly something which we shall continue to explore.

LORD SLATER

My Lords, is the Minister aware that this question of the gasification of coal is nothing new and has been under constant observation for quite a long time, but no one has yet found a solution?

LORD CARRINGTON

That is absolutely right, my Lords, but I think that with the change in the prices of different forms of energy it is certainly worth while having a look at these things again, bearing in mind the technical advances which may have taken place in the years since we ourselves abandoned our experiments.

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