§ Mr. Nabarroasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Works as representing the Lord President of the Council, whether he will make a statement on the future of Fuel Abstracts after the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research discontinues their publication in December, 1958.
§ Mr. H. NichollsBefore reaching the decision to discontinue Fuel Abstracts, the Ministry of Power, the National Coal Board, the British Coal Utilisation Research Association and other organisations were consulted. A careful examination of the various sections of Fuel Assistants showed that they are already covered wholly or in part by other abstracting organisations. Discussions have taken place with the National Coal Board as to ways and means of106W arranging for abstracting organisations in this country to extend their present Coverage and for the provision of some form of joint index. The Society of Chemical Industry have decided to increase the coverage of abstracts that lie within their field of interest. The Institute of Fuel is also considering the possibility of issuing collected abstracts of fuel literature.
A number of abstracting organisations other than D.S.I.R. do not make their abstracts directly available to the general public, but the Department has had an arrangement with them whereby abstracts of fuel literature could be published in "Fuel Abstracts". The Department has also had exchange arrangements for journals and abstracts with foreign organisations. There is no reason to think that similar arrangements could not be made by any other organisation which publishes collected abstracts of fuel literature.