§ Mr. Garrettasked the Minister of Power if he will make a statement on the present position with regard to the development of new apparatus for burning smoke-producing fuel in a smokeless manner; and what plans he has for assisting the greatest possible usage of this new apparatus.
§ Mr. MasonThe National Coal Board has developed and carried out satisfactory field trials of a domestic appliance of the roomheater type, known as the Housewarmer, designed to burn selected bituminous coal smokelessly. They are being installed to test the market in some 2,000 houses, with the prospect of extending the number, mainly in the Midlands and on local authority housing estates. If, as the Board expects the public are receptive, the appliance will be made more widely available. The appliance has been tested and approved by the Domestic Solid Fuel Appliances Approval Council. In the commercial field, it is not my policy to promote the claims of any one appliance in competition with others.
§ Mr. Dalyellasked the Minister of Power if he will make a statement on the agreement between the National Coal 228W Board and the United States National Air Pollution Administration for the exchange of information on new ways of controlling pollution from coal burning.
§ Mr. MasonYes. The Board and the National Air Pollution Control Administration have signed an agreement for an exchange of basic information on fluidised combustion. Laboratory work has shown that fluidised bed combustion can be operated so as to control sulphur oxide emissions, and it is this aspect of the technique which is of particular interest to N.A.P.C.A. The agreement will allow each side to benefit from the other's work and experimental facilities during the exploratory phase without prejudicing future commercial exploitation. The initial request for the agreement came from the United States.