HC Deb 23 February 1932 vol 262 cc194-6
8. Captain NORTH

asked the Secretary for Mines whether any steps are being taken to ascertain before the Ottawa Conference whether it would be possible to satisfy all Canadian coal requirements from British mines?

Mr. ISAAC FOOT

The possibility of extending the sale of coal from the United Kingdom in Canada is being carefully studied as part of the preparations for the Ottawa Conference.

10. Mr. PRICE

asked the Secretary for Mines the amount of coal exported from the Humber ports, respectively, for the six months ended 31st January, 1932, and the place of destination; and for the same six months in 1920 and each year up to 31st January, 1931?

Mr. ISAAC FOOT

I will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT figures showing the total exports from the Humber ports during the period specified in each of the years 1920-21 to 1931-32; and I will send to the hon. Member the further details he asks for in a statistical statement too long to justify printing it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following are the figures:

COAL shipped abroad, as cargo, from the Humber Ports.
Six months ended January 31st. Tons.
1921 179,949
1922 1,010,031
1923 4,072,845
1924 4,574,205
1925 2,394,176
1926 1,765,278
1928 1,337,263
1929 2,340,314
1930 3,435,864
1931 3,149,430
1932 2,081,990

Particulars for the six months ended 31st January, 1927, are omitted, in view of the stoppage of work at coal mines in 1926.

11. Mr. PRICE

asked the Secretary for Mines the amount of coal exported to countries within the British Empire and to foreign countries, respectively, in 1913, and each year from 1920 to 1931, inclusive?

Mr. FOOT

As the reply involves a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following are the figures:

Year. Quantity of Coal exported from Great Britain.
To British Possessions. To Foreign Countries. Total.
1,000 tons. 1,000 tons. 1,000 tons.
1913 … 2,319 71,081 73,400
1920 … 1,890 23,042 24,932
1921 … 1,880 22,781 24,661
1922 … 3,732 60,466 64,198
1923 … 2,059 75,915 77,974
1924 … 2,121 57,058 59,179
1925 … 2,269 46,305 48,574
1926 … 790 18,773 19,563
1927 … 2,539 46,202 48,741
1928 … 2,099 45,529 47,628
1929 … 2,809 55,001 57,810
1930 … 2,374 50,032 52,406
1931 … 1,767 38,558 40,325

Notes.

1. In order to secure comparability, shipments to Egypt (including Anglo-Egyptian Sudan, which cannot be distinguished) have been included under the heading "Foreign Countries."

As shipments to Ireland (amounting usually to nearly 2½ million tons a year) cannot be distinguished in the earlier years, they have been excluded throughout.

2. The majority of the coal mines were idle during a considerable period of the years 1921 and 1926 owing to disputes.