§ Mr. Nealasked the Minister of Fuel and Power the amount of research at present being undertaken into the problem of dust suppression in mines; and the estimated annual cost of these investigations
§ Mr. GaitskellResearch is now proceeding to improve the use of water for infusion at the coal face, with coal cutters and for spraying loose coal on the faces and at other dusty places underground. Investigations are being made regarding various types of foam for use with coal cutters and mechanical drills, wetting agents for consolidating the dust on roadways, and exhaust systems of dust extraction. Research is also being carried out to improve methods of sampling airborne dust and of evaluating the samples. Investigations in this field undertaken by my Department, the Medical Research Council or under other Government228W auspices involve expenditure amounting to approximately£20,000 per annum In addition much investigation and research on the problem of dust suppression is being undertaken by the colliery owners' research associations, by individual collieries and by manufacturers of mining equipment, but I am unable to state the amount spent by those organisations.