Oral Answers to Questions — Town and Country Planning – in the House of Commons am 12:00 am ar 10 Mehefin 1947.
Sir Arthur Salter
, Oxford University
12:00,
10 Mehefin 1947
asked the Minister of Town and Country Planning whether he has received authoritative expert evidence as to the elimination of sulphur fumes from the proposed oil-fired Bank-side generating station; and whether he will publish his evidence.
Mr Thomas Skeffington-Lodge
, Bedford
asked the Minister of Town, and Country Planning (1) what steps he is taking to satisfy himself that no noise and sulphur or other noxious fumes will be given out by the proposed electricity generating station on Bankside;
(2) what reports he has received on the possibility of eliminating sulphur and other noxious fumes emanating from oil-fired electricity generating stations; and if he will make a statement thereon.
Mr Lewis Silkin
, Camberwell Peckham
I am satisfied from the advice I have received that sulphur and other noxious fumes can be eliminated. In order to ensure that the design of the plant to be installed is satisfactory, a pilot gas-washing plant is to be constructed, and, when the results of this are available, the Electricity Commissioners will consult with my right hon. Friends, the Ministers of Health and of Works. I shall keep in touch with these discussions. As regards noise, the Electricity Commissioners imposed a condition in giving their formal consent that the undertakers shall provide efficient methods for ensuring the avoidance of noise, and I have no reason to think that any difficulty will arise.
Sir Arthur Salter
, Oxford University
May I ask the Minister whether he will ensure that no action compromising a final decision is taken until the public have had an opportunity of considering the expert evidence which he says is now before him?
Mr Lewis Silkin
, Camberwell Peckham
But the decision has been given. I am required to give a decision as the result of the public inquiry which was held, and I have given it.
Sir Arthur Salter
, Oxford University
Will the Minister see that the public have the evidence so that other expert opinion can express itself?
Mr Lewis Silkin
, Camberwell Peckham
I cannot give any undertaking to publish the advice which I have received.
Mr Thomas Skeffington-Lodge
, Bedford
Was not the decision to go ahead made conditional on the Minister being satisfied that sulphur and other noxious fumes could specifically be eliminated?
Mr Lewis Silkin
, Camberwell Peckham
Well, I am satisfied.
Mr Alfred Bossom
, Maidstone
Is the Minister aware that there is no plant in the world that is using this low-grade oil fuel which does not give off noxious fumes; is he further aware that, when Sir Christopher Wren built St. Paul's Cathedral, he made great efforts to get good stones there; and is the Minister going to wreck St. Paul's Cathedral by not preventing these fumes from coming across the river?
Mr Lewis Silkin
, Camberwell Peckham
I am satisfied that these fumes will in no way wreck St Paul's Cathedral.
Mr Charles Hobson
, Wembley North
Will the fumes from the Bankside power station be subject to the Public Health Act, and, if the answer is in the affirmative, is the Minister aware that, as long as steps are taken to mitigate the nuisance, that Act is being complied with?
Mr Lewis Silkin
, Camberwell Peckham
Of course, they are subject to the Public Health Act.
Mr Henry Harris
, Cambridge University
Is the Minister aware that it was stated in Another place that it will take six months to prove whether the noxious fumes can be eliminated or not? is that experiment to be carried out, and will the main enterprise be held up until it is carried out?
Mr Lewis Silkin
, Camberwell Peckham
I am satisfied, as a result of the advice I have received, that sulphur fumes can be eliminated.
Sir Edward Keeling
, Twickenham
Has the Minister investigated the suggestion that the extra cost of burning oil, together with the cost of eliminating the sulphur fumes, would far exceed the cost of bringing mains from a point downstream, where the power station would be unobjectionable?
Mr Lewis Silkin
, Camberwell Peckham
No, I have not, and it is not my business. All I had to do was to consider a specific application, which I did.
Mr Douglas Clifton Brown
, Hexham
We have already had one Adjournment Debate on this matter, and we cannot debate it all again at Question Time.
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