§ 115. Mr. Pentlandasked the Minister of Power whether he is aware that the Wilson Committee has now reached a stage where it would welcome further written memoranda from people interested in research and development on processes making chemicals, gases and oil from coal, and that the delays caused by their procedure have caused public concern; and, as it is an urgent national need that new uses are found for coal, if he will give the Committee power to secure immediate information on all research, known and potential, into the scientific exploitation of Great Britain's coal reserves.
§ Mr. WoodThe Chairman tells me that the Committee has already received a large amount of information and has had the fullest co-operation from all the organisations approached. The Committee does not require special powers to obtain information, and its latest request was intended to make sure that anybody who wished to help was given the opportunity to do so.
As I told the hon. Gentleman the Member for Wigan (Mr. Fitch) on 30th 115W November the Committee is pressing urgently with its very detailed investigations.