M.P.s Hot Up the Attack Well Done, Mr. Watt
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On Diesel Fumes
• From our Parliamentary Correspondent
D ESEARCH work now being carried out with the object of combating the
nuisance of diesel fumes was described in the Commons last week by Mr. Denzil Freeth, Parliamentary Secretary for Science. The Warren Springs Laboratory of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research was examining methods for removing smoke from the exhausts of diesel-powered road vehicles, he said, and though no device yet tested had proved satisfactory, a Swiss one was at present undergoing tests. No commercially produced American device was yet available for tests.
The Department was working very closely with the Ministry of Transport in this matter, went on Mr. Freeth, and, in addition, he was informed the British Internal Combustion Engine Research Association was undertaking a programme of fundamental studies of the combustion process in diesel engines. It was hoped that this might lead to remedial measures being possible.
' He told Mr. Gerald Nabarro (Tory, Kidderminster) that repeated studies by the Medical 'Research Council had shown no evidence of a higher incidence of lung cancer or respiratory disease among persons exposed to greater amounts of diesel exhaust fumes than the general population. No figures were at present available to indicate the effect of diesel smoke on road safety.
The following day it was the turn of Mr. Ernest Marples to come in for some rough handling on the subject. And his announcement that he was laying before' Parliament that day the Regulations controlling the use of the excess fuel device did not make his task any easier.
The question of enforcement was one for the police and the Home Secretary pointed out Mr. ?Vt'arples. Black smoke was often due to misuse of the excess fuel device to obtain extra power, and he thought the new Regulations would represent an important step forward in reducing this evil.
Registrations Level Off
REG !STA ATIONS of new commercial vehicles in May, at 26,978, were 939 greater than in the preceding month. This brought the total for the first five months of this year to 138,450-6,530 more than for the comparable period of 1960.
Following the record 33,000 attained in March, registrations appear to have settled around the 26.000 mark.
Details are given in the accompanying table.