HC Deb 14 March 1962 vol 655 cc160-1W
Mr. C. Hughes

asked the Parliamentary Secretary for Science if he will give the most recent results of the research being conducted in this country on salt water conversion; and if he will make a statement.

Mr. Denzil Freeth

Research on salt water conversion is mainly undertaken by industrial firms, which are not bound to publish their results. The Tropical Products Institute of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is doing a small amount of work on solar distillation, which may find applications in warmer countries. All our information suggests that demineralisation of salt water is unlikely, in normal circumstances, to be economic in this country.