Mr. Edwardsasked the Lord President of the Council what steps have been taken to test the claims made for the Freeman process for extracting oil from coal; and whether he is satisfied that this process is a more economical one than the Bergius process?
§ Mr. R. MacDonaldIn reply to the first part of the question, I have nothing to add to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member on 21st January. The Freeman and the Bergius process differ so materially that it is not possible to draw comparisons. So far as I am aware, no plant for working the Freeman process on a commercial scale is in existence. I962W am unable to express any opinion on its economics.
Mr. Edwardsasked the Secretary for Mines what quantity of Diesel oil has been produced at the Billingham coal-oil plant; and what steps are being taken to ensure adequate supplies of oil for Diesel engines in the event of war?
§ Captain CrookshankIn regard to the first part of the question no commercial supplies of Diesel oil have been produced at the Billingham hydrogenation plant. In this connection I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on the 19th January to two questions by the hon. Member for the Springburn Division of Glasgow (Mr. Hardie). As regards the second part, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on the 26th January by my right hon. Friend, the Minister for the Coordination of Defence.