Mr. David Adamsasked the Secretary for Mines whether the use of gas-producer and coal-gas driven machines has now developed upon a satisfactory commercial scale; and whether, in view of the shortage of imported fuel, all encouragement possible is being given to these alternatives?
§ Mr. GrenfellA number of firms have converted commercial vehicles to run on producer gas, and have found them satisfactory in operation and the recently imposed restrictions on the use of petrol are giving additional impetus to the movement. It should be remembered, how-1964W ever, that the saving of imported petrol has to be balanced against the additional demand for steel and other materials which such conversion involves. Another limiting factor in any large scale commercial development is the supplies of suitable fuel; and considerable progress is being made, both by road tests and by laboratory and other research, in extending the range of such fuels.