§ 52. Mr. LAWSONasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what portion of the £3,000,000 voted for the purchase of foreign coal has now been spent; and the amount received for the sale of this coal?
§ Colonel LANE FOXI have been asked to reply. This sum was voted as a revolving credit for the purchase of foreign coal, and has been so employed. It will be some time yet before it is possible to say exactly what is the result of the operation, but I anticipate that the proceeds of sale of the coal will more than balance the amount paid for it.
§ Mr. LAWSONWill the House have an early opportunity of discussing the results of these purchases?
§ Colonel LANE FOXThat is not a question for me to answer. I hope there may be an opportunity.
§ Mr. W. THORNECan the right hon. Gentleman state approximately the number of tons of foreign coal he has already on his hands?
§ Colonel LANE FOXThere is a farther question on that point.
§ 60. Mr. LAWSONasked the Secretary for Mines the amount of foreign coal now in stock and the amount ordered and still to be delivered?
§ Colonel LANE FOXOf the coal bought by the Government, amounting in all to about 2,500,000 tons, less than 10,000 tons—partly in ships and partly in store in this country—is unsold. I have no precise information about private purchases, but I believe that a large quantity is still to be delivered.
§ Mr. W. THORNEIs it not a fact that it is in consequence of the Government having about 10,000 tons of coal on hand that they are not controlling prices?
§ Colonel LANE FOXNo, Sir; the hon. Member must have a very vague idea of the size of these transactions if he thinks 10,000 tons is a large quantity.
§ Mr. MACLEANSince the Government have bought only 2,500,000 tons of coal out of the £3,000,000 voted, giving an average price of 25s. a ton, can the right hon. Gentleman now explain why coal is being sold at 5s. per cwt.?
§ Colonel LANE FOXNo, Sir. When the hon. Member comes to read my answer, he will see that he has not heard it aright. I do not mention £2,500,000, but 2,500,000 tons.
§ Mr. BATEYI would like to ask the Minister whether the Government have ceased ordering foreign coal now, seeing that the pits are restarted?
§ Colonel LANE FOXYes, Sir; there is no further need now that the miners have gone back.
§ Mr. LAWSONMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman if it is not a fact that there are a further few large amounts of coal still to come in which were ordered, if not by the Government, by private firms, and what the Government are going to do in that case? Are they going to stand by and see the miners laid by now that work is being restarted?
§ Mr. MACLEANMay I ask the Secretary for Mines a further question about the 2,500,000 tons. Is it not the case that he said in a previous answer £3,000,000 had been spent by the Government on buying 2,500,000 tons of coal, which comes out at about 25s. per ton?
§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSIs it not the case that the £3,000,000 is a revolving figure, which will have been used several times over?
§ Colonel LANE FOXYes. So far from £3,000,000 having been spent, no money has been spent.
§ Mr. WESTWOODArising out of the original answer, may I ask whether that 2,500,000 tons of coal includes the several tons thrown away in Buckie Harbour?