§ * MR. FELL (Great Yarmouth)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if there has been any increase in the monthly export of coal from this country since the export duty was taken off.
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGEThe export duty on coal ceased to be levied on the 31st October last. In the three months which have elapsed since that date there has been an average monthly increase of about 600,000 tons in the export of coal as compared with the corresponding period a year ago. The period of three months, however, is too short to enable any useful comparison to be made.
§ * MR. FELLIs the present increase in the price of coal attributable in any way to this state of affairs?
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGEI am not competent to express an opinion on that point.
§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (Merthyr Tydvil)Has not the increase in the exports been gradual and continuous for a long number of years?
§ MR. LLOYD-GEORGEI believe so.