§ MR. DOUGHTY (Great Grimsby)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he is aware that Welsh coal is sent, at very considerable cost in railway carriage, from collieries in South Wales to Hull and other East Coast ports for the supply of Her Majesty's ships stationed in the Humber or cruising off the East Coast; whether he is aware that 23 million tons of coal are annually drawn in the South Yorkshire district, that a large proportion is best hard steam coal and used generally by the mercantile marine; that this coal possesses a very high standard of steam producing qualities, and exceeds in this respect much of the Welsh coal; whether, when considering the advisability of dividing the Admiralty contracts for coal amongst different districts, he will bear in mind that nearly all the South Yorkshire coal sent abroad is exported from the Humber ports, owing to their close proximity to the coal fields and the low rate of railway carriage; and whether he will consider the wisdom of establishing a coal station as a naval base at Grimsby, or some other convenient port, for the use of Her Majesty's ships stationed on the East Coast, and for the general purposes of the Admiralty?
§ MR. MACARTNEYWelsh coal is not sent by railway to Her Majesty's ships on the East Coast. The Admiralty are fully aware that there are some good steam producing coals in South Yorkshire, and several collieries are annually invited to tender for coals for yard purposes. The requirements of ships on the East Coast do not at present warrant the establishment of a coaling station at 791 Grimsby. There is a contract at Harwich for supplying vessels engaged in fishery duties.