§ 18. Mr. NEIL MACLEANasked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that a circular has been issued to coal merchants in Scotland, and marked urgent and confidential, asking them to stock coal reserves until March; whether this has been done in view of the announcement that coal will be decontrolled as from 1st March; and whether he can state what is the purpose of building up huge stocks of coal in the country?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe only circular of this nature of which I am aware is one issued by the Coal Merchants' Federation last November. The circular was issued as a result of a suggestion made by the Department to the chairman of 534 the Coal Merchants' Federation shortly after the strike, that in view of the very serious depletion of stocks of household coal as a result of the strike, merchants should be urged to stock coal until the period of heavy winter demand was passed, in order to avoid the serious hardships suffered by domestic consumers a year ago. This request has not resulted, nor could it result, in merchants holding huge stocks; it has only served to mitigate in part the serious situation created by the loss of coal during the strike.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that, while he has been building up the stocks we have lost some of our best markets for coal?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI am aware we have lost some of our best markets in coal. That is due to the bad output last year.