HC Deb 17 January 1940 vol 356 cc121-2W
Mr. Grenfell

asked the Secretary for Mines whether his Department is prepared to give technical assistance to promoters of oil from coal processes; and whether such facilities as exist in Government testing stations are available for ascertaining the commercial prospects of any method put forward as a means to ensure a supply of oil within this country?

Mr. Lloyd

The technical experience of the Fuel Research Station of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is already held as freely available as possible for this purpose. The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research is also prepared, in accordance with its published scheme, to test, free of charge, plants for low temperature carbonisation which are of such a size that their performance will be comparable with that of similar plants operating on a commercial scale. The report of any such test provides technical information on which the promoters of the process and others interested can, from their experience, form

Members of the House of Commons serving in the Army (other than those holding honorary positions).
Name. Rank Branch of Service
Anstruther-Gray, W. J. Lieutenant Foot Guards.
Apsley, Lord, D.S.O., M.C., T.D. Major Royal Armoured Corps (Territorial Army).
Baldwin-Webb, J., T.D Colonel Territorial Army.
Beaumont, Hon. K. E. B. Captain Infantry (Territorial Army).
Bellenger, F. J. Second-Lieutenant Royal Artillery.
Blaker, Sir R. Bt Major Royal Artillery (Territorial Army).
Bull, B. B Second-Lieutenant Foot Guards.
Cartland, J. R. H Captain Royal Artillery (Territorial Army).
Cary, R. A Lieutenant Staff.
Castlereagh, Viscount Second-Lieutenant Royal Artillery.
Cazalet, V. A., M.C. Major Royal Artillery (Territorial Army).
Clarke, R. S., T.D Colonel Territorial Army.
Conant, R. J. E. Captain Foot Guards.
Cook, Sir T. R. A. M Lieutenant Camp Commandant.
Cox, H. B. T Second-Lieutenant Foot Guards (Supplementary Reserve).
De Chair, S. S. Second-Lieutenant Household Cavalry (Supplementary Reserve).
Despencer-Robertson, J. A. St. G. F., O.B.E. Major Staff.
Dodd, J.S Major Royal Armoured Corps (Territorial Army).
Dower, A. V. Gandar Lieutenant-Colonel Royal Engineers (Territorial Army).
Duckworth, G. A. V. Second-Lieutenant Royal Engineers (Territorial Army).
Dugdale, T. L Major Yeomanry (Territorial Army).
Evans, H. A. Lieutenant-Colonel Auxiliary Military Pioneer Corps.
Furness, S. N. Second-Lieutenant Infantry (Territorial Army).
George G. Lloyd Major Royal Artillery (Territorial Army).
Gluckstein, L. H. Captain Infantry (Territorial Army).
G-anville, E. L Second-Lieutenant Royal Artillery.

their own estimates of its commercial prospects, which must, of course, take into account other than purely technical considerations.

Mr. Grenfell

asked the Secretary for Mines whether his Department has considered the adoption of a plan for the production of oil, gas and carbonised fuel from coal on a scale sufficiently large to lessen the demand for shipping tonnage for the importation of liquid fuel from abroad?

Mr. Lloyd

I am in communication with the hon. Member on this matter.

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