Mr. J. JONESasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in view of the injury to health and the damage to property and goods in the Metropolitan area, estimated at some millions of pounds, due to the recent fogs, any steps have been taken by the Government towards the abatement of coal smoke; and whether the recent developments in the manufacture of a smokeless fuel for household and industrial use at works near Barnsley have come to the knowledge of the Board of Trade?
§ Mr. BALDWINThe question of the abatement of coal smoke has been engaging the active attention of the Government since 1917, and research into this problem has been continuously undertaken by the Fuel Research Board under the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. The Board is fully informed of the work on this problem being done by other organisations, not only at Barnsley, but elsewhere.