§ 47 and 48. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) what discussions he has had with the British Electricity Authority as a matter of broad economic and financial policy to install equipment at new British Electricity Authority power houses which is capable of burning oil or coal as fuel for generation of electricity supplies; and whether he will make a statement on this subject;
(2) in view of the continuing shortage of coal for all purposes, what evidence has been obtained by his Department as to the advisability and comparative costs of employing fuel oil as a substitute for coal at publicly-owned British Electricity Authority power houses; whether he will make a statement as to the policy of Her Majesty's Government in regard to substitution of oil for coal as power-house fuel, in consideration of the British Electricity Authority's consumption of 36 million tons of coal per annum; and what quantities of coal he estimates can be saved at power houses by oil substitution for coal during the period forward to 1960.
§ Mr. Geoffrey LloydI made a full statement on Friday and have at present nothing to add to it.