§ Mr. HURDasked the President of the Board of Education the result of the latest tests of coal slack under the auspices of the National Physical Laboratory and the prospect of the production from British coal of an oil that is comparable in efficiency with imported oil?
Duchess of ATHOLLMy right hon. Friend understands that the National1458W Physical Laboratory do not conduct tests of coal slack. Experiment have shown that it is possible to produce oil from British coals comparable in efficiency with imported oil, but no Pronouncement can be made as to the Possibility of doing this under commercial conditions. My hon. Friend can find further information on this question in general in recent reports of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, notably Fuel Research Technical paper No. 17, and the annual Report of the Fuel Research Board for 1925.