§ Mr. HURD(by Private Notice)asked the Secretary for Mines what is the result of his latest inquiries into prices 545 charged to coal consumers; and whether in order to check any tendency to profiteering in coal he will call into conference leading distributing agencies and in conjunction with them cause to be published from time to time the fair prices that should be charged in typical areas.
§ The SECRETARY for MINES (Colonel Lane Fox)I have already been in conference more than once with both producers and distributors of coal on the subject of prices, and the upward movement of prices seems, for the time being at any rate, to have been checked. I shall continue to watch the position carefully, and will certainly consider my hon. Frend's suggestion, though I see some difficulties in it.
§ Mr. HURDIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the rural areas as much as 4s. 3d. per cwt. is being charged for coal, and 4s. 9d. in other areas, and do not these circumstances seem to call for some definite action?
§ Mr. J. H. THOMASWill the right hon. Gentleman say from what source his Department obtained the evidence that prices are being checked?
§ Colonel LANE FOXFrom the experience of the Department and from my own experience. After communications I have addressed to and interviews I have had with the Mining Association, circulars were sent out by them urging that the prices of coal should not be further raised. The merchants of London were intending to put up their prices and had notified me to that effect, but they were reduced accordingly. With regard to the question put by my hon. Friend the Member for Devizes (Mr. Hurd), I am certainly aware of the very great hardship of these prices to a very large number of people in this country, in rural areas no less than in town areas, and I am quite aware of the urgent need of trying and hoping to check these prices.
§ Mr. BUCHANANIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that in the City of Glasgow in the last week prices have risen from 4s. 3d. to 5s. 3d. per cwt., and is there any method of checking prices rising to such a great extent within the last seven days?
§ Colonel LANE FOXI am not prepared to accept that statement unless the hon. Member gives me fuller particulars. I do not believe that that is the general price, but if he can give me detailed figures, I will look into them.
§ Mr. BUCHANANIt is an undoubted fact in Glasgow, and the evidence is on the boards of private traders' lorries, announcing the price this morning and on Saturday at 5s. 3d. per cwt., and then the poor people can get no supplies at all.
§ Mr. N. MACLEANWhat have you to say to that?
§ Colonel LANE FOXWhat I have to say to that is what I have already stated. If I have evidence that this is general, which I have not got at present, I will certainly go into the matter and see what can be done, but I cannot believe that that is so at present.
§ Mr. B. SMITHCan the right hon. Gentleman explain how, in an area of two square miles, the price of coal varies from 4s. 3d. to 5s. per cwt.? I refer to Bermondsey.
§ Colonel LANE FOXAgain I should have to have details. I should want to know, first of all, if it is the same class of coal and, secondly, the difficulty of getting the coal there. Obviously, the further you get from the depot, the greater the cost, and when hon. Members realise that a great part of the coal supplied now has to come from the railway stations in the north of London, they will see that anywhere south of the river, of course, prices will likely be higher.
§ Mr. R. MORRISONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that at some of the pits where men have returned to work the owners are now asking £2 per ton more than they were asking during pre stoppage days for the coal, although the miners have returned at less wages?
§ Colonel LANE FOXYes, it is quite true that the chief cause of the rise in prices is at the collieries, where they can get far higher prices even than they are asking now. To control the price of coal in this country involves a vast organisation of expensive, elaborate and harassing machinery. It may be necessary to set that machinery in operation—I do not put that possibility out of the question at all—but if we can avoid it, in view of the probability of an early end of the 547 coal stoppage, it is far more satisfactory to do so.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIf the statement the right hon. Gentleman has just made is correct, that charges are £2 and over per ton more to-day than they were before the stoppage, and if colliery companies were only losing between 1s. and 2s. per ton before the stoppage, does the right hon. Gentleman think it is fair trading for them to be making up to £1 18s. per ton profit to-day?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThis is becoming a debate.