THE EARL OF MANSFIELDasked His Majesty's Government whether they will state the total expenditure incurred on the now abandoned Ministry of Fuel scheme for producing fuel from the Lochar Moss, Dumfriesshire, together with the tonnage of fuel extracted, and the final loss to the taxpayer.
§ LORD MACDONALD OF GWAENYSGORThe total expenditure on the operations conducted by the Ministry of Fuel and Power at Lochar Moss, Dumfriesshire, including the net cost of equipment, amounted approximately to £9,500. The scheme produced about 2,600 tons of saleable air-dried peat, which was sold for approximately £8,600. The net loss w as therefore £900. This was an experimental scheme to test whether the production of air-dried peat by hand-cutting methods could be economically developed as a contribution towards the fuel problem.
House adjourned at eighteen minutes before six o'clock.