§ MR. LONSDALEI beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether the Government have any information of the conclusion of negotiations for the purchase of two anthracite collieries in Wales by a Gorman syndicate; and whether they propose to take steps to prevent the alienation of the sources of supply of a commodity essential to our naval supremacy.
§ SIR H. CAMPBELL-BANNERMANNo, Sir. The Government have no information of the kind at their disposal. A similar Question was addressed to the late Prime Minister on more than one occasion towards the close of last session, and I can only repeat what he said on August 1st, namely, that we have no reason to believe that there is a Gorman Syndicate in treaty for any area at all of the steam coal which is used by the Navy. With respect to the second part of the hon. Member's Question, the Admiralty are satisfied that there is no necessity for taking any steps in the matter, and in that view the Government entirely concur.