§ 1. Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware of the distress in the port of Kingston-upon-Hull by the prohibition of exports of coal from that port; and when permission to export coal from Hull will be granted?
§ The MINISTER of RECONSTRUCTION (Sir Auckland Geddes)I am aware that there is diminished employment in Hull as a result of the prevention of the export of coal. Unfortunately the output of coal from the Yorkshire and Midland fields is now so small that there is no exportable surplus after urgent British needs have been met. Already from various parts of the country reports have been received that full employment cannot 554 be given to the workers because of coal shortage. If coal were now exported from these fields in any quantity more widely-spread distress would be caused in the manufacturing districts than can possibly exist in Hull. I regret that I cannot state when it will be possible or desirable to resume coal export.