§ 26. Mr. Ellis Smithasked the Minister of Fuel and Power why it was necessary to make a new Severn tidal model when one had been made at the Manchester University in 1926 and 1930 under the direction of Professor Gibson, Metropolitan Vickers and Fodens directors, with experiments and drawings which satisfied the experts: if he will have inquiries made as to the results of the experiments on the model made in 1947, and the investigation carried out by the Hydraulics Research Organisation; why action has not been taken on the official reports prepared in 1926, 1929, 1932, 1933 and 1945 concerning the proposed Severn Barrage; what is the estimated amount of coal that would be saved per annum and the amount of power generated; and if he will now treat this matter as one of great economic urgency.
§ Mr. P. Noel-BakerThe report of 1945 was prepared by a panel of engineers under the leadership of Sir William Halcrow. One of their recommendations was that a new tidal model of the Severn Estuary must be made, in order to determine whether the Barrage would cause the silting or the flooding of the Bristol Channel ports. I hope this model will be completed in 1953.
Sir William Halcrow estimated in 1945 that the Barrage would give 2,190 million units of electricity a year; that it would save 985,000 tons of coal a year; that it would take eight years to construct: and that it would require 560,000 tons of cement, 250,000 tons of iron and steel, and 20,000 tons of alloy steel, copper, and aluminium. In the light of these facts, we must clearly await the results of the 4W experiments on the new model. But I agree with my hon. Friend that the scheme is of great importance for the future.