§ 38. Mr. BATEYasked the Secretary for Mines the amount of Foreign coal that has been imported each month since 1st May, 1926; and whether there has been any loss on the coal imported by the Government?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI will circulate the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT. The answer to the second part of the question is in the negative.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYAs this comes on the Estimates, can the right hon. Gentleman say what is the contemplated profit?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERWe have not made a loss. The hon. and gallant Member is wrong in saying that this comes on the Estimates.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYThere are Supplementary Estimates this afternoon.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThere is not a Supplementary Estimate for this. The House has already dealt with it.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYThere is an Estimate due to the increased cost of fuel in Government Departments.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThere is nothing in the Estimates to-day about this.
§ Following are the figures prone seed:
§ The monthly imports of coal into the United Kingdom since 1st May, 1926, are as follow:
| Tons. | ||||
| 1926: | ||||
| May | … | … | … | 3,618 |
| June | … | … | … | 600,634 |
| July | … | … | … | 2,319,657 |
| August | … | … | … | 3,970,442 |
| September | … | … | … | 3,940,880 |
| October | … | … | … | 3,489,083 |
| November | … | … | … | 3,467,921 |
| December | … | … | … | 2,238,669 |
| 1927: | ||||
| January | … | … | … | 1,872,437 |
§ 40. Mr. LUNNasked the Secretary for Mines what is the total amount of foreign coal that has been unloaded at British ports since 1st December, 1926; what is the amount at present at the docks loaded and unloaded; and what is the total tonnage contracted for and expected to arrive in this country during 1927?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERThe quantity of coal imported and registered into ports in Great Britain and Northern Ireland from 1st December, 1926, to 31st January, 1927—the latest date for which information is available—was 4,111,106 tons. I have no figures of the quantities of coal at present at the docks, or of the tonnage contracted for and not yet delivered.
§ Mr. LUNNIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a great shortage of wagons at the collieries to-day, and would he say how far the shortage is caused by the conveyance of this foreign coal?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI think it was caused to some extent by that, because there was dislocation on the railways, but obviously that must be a diminishing factor. The hon. Gentleman will appreciate that I cannot obtain complete particulars of contracts that have 740 been entered into. I do not know to whom to go for them. The shortage must be very near its end.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIn view of the large volume of unemployment among wine workers, and the high price of imported coal, cannot something be done to prevent further imports coming into this country?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo, Sir; that would be quite impossible. People to whom coal was vial for the conduct of their businesses or the production of food placed forward contracts, and it would be impossible to interfere with them.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSCan the right hon. Gentleman tell us who is purchasing the coal at present being imported, and at what price it is being sold to them?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo, I cannot possibly answer as to the price at which it is being sold. It is, no doubt, a price varying with every contract. Such people were driven to make large forward purchases.
Sir F. HALLWas it not owing to the action of certain gentlemen who represent the miners that the merchants were compelled to make contracts to enable them to carry on their businesses?