§ Sir W. Darlingasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware of the considerable quantities of discarded and fallen timber throughout Scotland; and if he has any plans for its bulk collection and distribution as domestic fuel before this winter.
§ Mr. ShinwellWhile the quantity of waste timber available in Scotland is considerable, its fuel value is poor. It consists mainly of softwood and the residue from the production of manufacturing timber Off-cuts of this kind do not provide good fuel, although they can be used by local domestic consumers who are in a position to sort out the most suitable wood for their fuel requirements. Every encouragement is accordingly given to such consumers to make full use of local supplies, but as most of the wood is situated in thinly populated districts, the large tonnages involved cannot be fully absorbed in this way. Wood fuel merchants are being encouraged to handle bulk quantities for sale in the larger centres of population, but this is not 55W generally an economic proposition owing to the distance of the wood from the rail= head and the long and costly rail hauls involved. Moreover, these operations require labour and to some extent equipment, which, even when available, is out of all proportion to the fuel value of the wood.
Every effort is however being made by my Ministry, in consultation with Home Timber Production Department, to ensure that the best possible use is made of such supplies as can be handled on a practical and economic basis; for example, considerable quantities have been disposed of to the Army for fuel purposes. But in view of the considerations referred to above, I do not consider it practicable to operate a large scale scheme for the distribution of this wood as domestic fuel.