HC Deb 02 December 1930 vol 245 cc1955-6
5. Mr. WESTWOOD

asked the Secretary for Mines how many representatives of domestic consumers of coal have been put upon the Committee of Investigation in Scotland set up under the Coal Mines Act, 1930; and will he give their names?

Mr. SHINWELL

Section 5 of the Coal Mines Act, 1930, provides for the appointment on the Committee of Investigation for Scotland of one representative of domestic consumers of coal. I have appointed Mr. William Elger, J.P., of Glasgow, to be that representative.

Mr. ERNEST BROWN

Is not Mr. William Elger the Secretary of the Scottish Trade Union Congress, and will he not, therefore, be rather more engaged in representing the point of view of the producer than that of the domestic consumer, which is the intention of the Act?

Mr. SHINWELL

No, I cannot agree with my hon. Friend.

Mr. BROWN

Surely the hon. Gentleman will agree that the intention of the Act was that there should be a representative of the domestic consumers, and that Mr. Elger, as Secretary of the Congress, might be more inclined to represent the producer?

Mr. SHINWELL

That is precisely why I appointed Mr. Elger, who is, in my opinion, an excellent representative of the domestic consumers.

Mr. BROWN

Has the hon. Member received any representations against this appointment from the Scottish Co-operative Society?

Mr. SHINWELL

Representations of the Co-operative Society in Scotland have nothing to do with the appointment of Mr. Elger. They asked for special representations for co-operators as such, and I was unable to accede to their request.

Mr. BROWN

Does not that show that there is a very great feeling of disappointment in Scotland that this appointment does not represent the domestic consumers at all?

Mr. WESTWOOD

Is it not a fact that the complaints have come from the co-operative societies because co-operative societies which are retailing coal have not representation?

Mr. SHINWELL

The complaint from the co-operative societies was attributeable to the lack of information. They were under the impression that we were empowered to appoint more than one representative of domestic consumers.