§ 12. Mr. FELLasked the First Lord of the Admiralty if his attention has been called to the sale to foreign syndicates and firms of the coal under (nearly 20,000 acres of land in Kent; and if the Admiralty proposes, by lease or otherwise, to retain control of such portion of this field as may be desirable for the supply in the future of coal and oil for the Fleet?
§ The FIRST LORD of the ADMIRALTY (Mr. Churchill)The Admiralty understand that leases have been obtained by foreign syndicates, and the general extent of such leases has been indicated in a recent reply to the hon. Member given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Home Department. In reply to the second part of the question, no necessity is seen in present circumstances for any such steps as those suggested. The Admiralty has no reason to anticipate any difficulty whatever in obtaining supplies of coal for all naval purposes. The question of extraction of oil from coal has been dealt with in replies to other recent questions.
§ Mr. FELLHas the First Lord given personal attention to this matter, and does he propose to go and inspect these fields?
§ 13. Lord CHARLES BERESFORDasked the First Lord of the Admiralty whether the original specification with regard to the amount of sulphur in Mexican oil has been altered, and, if so, to what extent?
§ Mr. CHURCHILLWhen Mexican oil was first purchased by the Admiralty, a latitude of ¾ per cent. was allowed on the normal specification limit of 3 per cent. The average of actual supplies, however, showed a percentage slightly below 3½, and that rate, namely, 3½ per cent., has been adopted as a maximum in the current contract coupled with a condition that the price shall be reduced if the actual percentage is above 3 per cent.