asked the Secretary for Mines whether he can state the amount spent by his Department upon research into new methods for the utilisation of coal within the last full year for which figures are available?

The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of EDUCATION (Duchess of Atholl):

My right hon. Friend has been asked to answer this question, which presumably refers to the work of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research; research work on the utilisation of coal is not carried out by the Mines Department. The net amount spent by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research on fuel research during the financial year 1926–26 was £76,547 and during 1926–27 about £88,000.

asked the Prime Minister whether he will consider setting aside a definite sum for research into the uses of oil for power production?

I am not prepared to direct that a definite sum should be set aside for the purposes indicated, since in these matters the Lord President is advised from time to time by his Advisory Council for Scientific and Industrial Research.

Does not the right hon. Gentleman consider that it would be better to encourage the use of Somerset coal rather than Russian oil?

Mr. W. M. WATSON:

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he can state, as a result of the experiments of the Fuel Research Board, the average amount of fuel oil, lubricating oil, motor spirit, sulphate of ammonia and smokeless fuel, respectively, that can be obtained, according to the latest methods of treatment, from one ton of coal?

asked the President of the Board of Education whether he will provide a list of the various by-products obtained from coal as a result of the experiments of the Fuel Research Board, the commercial values of such by-products, respectively, and the variation in the commercial value, in each case, according to the quality of coal used?

Duchess of ATHOLL:

The products obtained from a ton of coal by the latest experimental treatment vary according to the process adopted and the coal used. For further information my right hon. Friend would refer the hon. Members to recent Annual Reports of the Fuel Research Board, and to the reports on tests of proprietary plants made by the Director of Fuel Research. It is impossible to give reliable commercial values for the by-products until they have been available for purchase in large quantities over an extended period.

Can the hon. Member say whether there is any prospect of this method of the utilisation of coal becoming a commercial proposition in the near future?

Duchess of ATHOLL:

I think it is impossible at the moment to give an answer.

asked the President of the Board of Education the amount of large coal and small coal used in the experiments of the Fuel Research Board during the last year for which figures are available?

asked the President of the Board of Education how many tons of coal are used for experimental purposes per month by the Fuel Research Board?

Duchess of ATHOLL:

During 1926 the coal used amounted to