HC Deb 20 July 1905 vol 149 cc1382-5
SIR HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)

I beg to ask the Secretary to †See page879. the Board of Trade he has any official information to the effect that the sale of the Whitworth Estate Coalfield, near Neath, in South Wales, 6,000 acres in extent, to a German syndicate, on behalf of the German Navy, is being negotiated; and, in such case, if he will have the purchasers warned of the special legislation contemplated by the Government to prevent the coal being shipped for the use of foreign Powers.

THE PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY TO THE BOARD OF TRADE (Mr. BONAR LAW, Glasgow, Blackfriars)

My hon. and gallant friend must not assume that the mere shipping of coal for the use of foreign Powers in the ordinary course of trade has ever been objected to by this or any other Government. What we should object to is the acquisition of anything in the nature of a monopoly of steam coal under the control of foreigners or of a foreign Government. We have no official information about the particular coalfield referred to, which it is understood has been in the market for some time, and has hitherto not produced steam coal.

Colonel LUCAS (Suffolk, Lowestoft) asked whether, having regard to the importance of the matter, farther inquiries would be made.

MR. BONAR LAW

Yes, Sir.

SIR LEES KNOWLES (Salford, W.) reminded the hon. Member that on Tuesday last the Secretary to the Admiralty stated that he believed no such purchase had been completed, and it was extremely doubtful whether any such purchase was likely. Did that statement apply to this particular coalfield?

MR. BONAR LAW

I cannot say. The hon. Member must put that Question to the Secretary to the Admiralty.

MR. GIBSON BOWLES

Will the Government consider the propriety of reviving the old law which made aliens incapable of acquiring landed estates in this country?

MR. DALZIEL (Kirkcaldy Burghs) asked the Secretary to the Admiralty whether his attention had been drawn to the official announcement made in the morning papers that the purchase of the Whitworth Coalfield had been completed on behalf of a syndicate in which German financiers bad a paramount interest; on what authority did the hon. Gentleman make the statement a few days ago that he regarded the purchase as improbable; whether he had any further information which would lead him to modify his views on the subject; and what steps, if any, the Government intended to take in the matter.

MR. PRETYMAN

My attention has been called to this statement; but I see no reason to modify the views which I expressed in the House two days ago. The particular district in which the property alleged to have been purchased is situated is outside the area in which the steam coal suitable for naval purposes has been found. It is quite evident from the figures of the purchase price which have been quoted that the transaction is of an ordinary character and it does not appear to call for any interference.

MR. DALZIEL said that the question of the quality of the coal had no relation to the statement of the Secretary of the Admiralty the other day, when he said he regarded it as totally improbable that the Whitworth Collieries would be purchased. Did he adhere to that?

MR. PRETYMAN

That was not the Question the hon. Member asked me, nor the Answer I gave. What I was asked was whether I had any information as to the reported purchase by a German syndicate of a valuable coalfield within the area which is of interest to the British Navy, and I replied that I had no information of any such purchase having been concluded, or likely to be concluded. I was not asked about this particular property, which is outside the area of the steam coal.

MR. MARKHAM (Nottinghamshire, Mansfield)

Is the hon. Gentleman aware that this particular property has been hawked about in London and South Wales for the last twenty years and offered at £10 per acre?

[No Answer was returned.]