Captain CRAIGasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether he can state the reasons why North Country coal has been supplied to several ships in the Fleet instead of Welsh; whether such coal has been properly screened; and whether the Admiralty have found the use of North Country coal in His Majesty's ships deleterious to the boilers, or whether its use for any other reason is objectionable?
§ Mr. McKENNASome North Country coal was recently obtained, and, if used in conjunction with oil, the effect is not injurious. The coal was obtained for reasons connected with the threatened coal strike in Wales. Some of the coal was supplied unscreened. The question of the disadvantages of North Country coal has been fully brought forward and cannot be dealt with in reply to a question.
§ Mr. McKENNAYes. There is a sufficient supply of Welsh coal kept.
§ Mr. McKENNABecause we were afraid that there might not be a sufficient supply to continue the supply of Welsh coal.
Captain CRAIGDoes the right hon. Gentleman mean to say that there is not a sufficient supply of Welsh coal kept?
§ Mr. McKENNAYes, there is.
§ Mr. RENWICKIs any Welsh coal kept in the stores of the East Coast?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of this question.
Mr. FENWICKIs the right hon. Gentleman aware of the experiments undertaken by the Admiralty, which demonstrated that the best results were obtained by a mixture of North Country and Welsh coal?
§ Mr. McKENNAI am afraid that our demonstrations lead us to a different conclusion.
Mr. FENWICKWill my right hon. Friend look back to the experiments which were made when the late Mr. Childers was at the Admiralty?
§ Mr. McKENNAI have done so.