§ Mr. Coulsonasked the Minister of Power if he is satisfied that his Department's research work on mine safety is supported by adequate and up-to-date experimental facilities; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. PeytonYes. New laboratories equipped with specialised apparatus were opened for the Safety in Mines Research Establishment in Sheffield in 1962. Several large-scale facilities are being installed at the field laboratories at Buxton for research on mining problems. The most important of these facilities is a fully-instrumented, 400-yard-long, explosion gallery on which proving trials are now in progress. It is the largest gallery of its kind in the world and will be used to improve our knowledge of coal mine explosions and especially to develop methods for suppressing and preventing them.