§ 53. Mr. LAWSONasked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that among miners and consumers alike there is a belief that the recent reduction of 9s. per ton for coal sold in London, following shortly upon the coal merchants' statement that they were only receiving a profit of 5d. per ton sold, reveals a system of exploitation; and whether he is prepared to set up an inquiry into the whole facts?
Mr. BRIDGEMANFor the explanation given by the coal merchants of the recent reduction in the price of household coal in London, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer that I gave to him on the 29th June. I do not think that Parliament has entrusted me with any powers that would enable me to set up such an inquiry. The regulation of prices could not be effected by the Mines Department without the reimposition of control.
§ Mr. LAWSONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that I have looked up the answer referred to and all the other answers, and the more I look at them the more I am convinced that a serious state of things exists; and is the right hon. Gentleman not prepared to take powers to deal with the state of things revealed in the answers given?
Mr. BRIDGEMANI do not think it is possible to know how much attention the hon. Gentleman has given to the answer, but if he peruses it I do not think he will find that it necessarily proves the charge which he insinuated against the coal owners. In any case, I have no power to set up an inquiry into the question without legislation.
§ Mr. LAWSONIn view of the strong feeling which exists upon the question in the mining areas, where people who are starving feel that they have been robbed, is the right hon. Gentleman not prepared to defend these people and set up an inquiry to investigate the facts?
§ Mr. LAWSONThen why not take step3 to legislate upon it?
Mr. BRIDGEMANThat question should be addressed not to me, but to the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the House.
§ Mr. CHARLES EDWARDSAs the right hon. Gentleman informed us the other day that 7s. out of the 9s. reduction had been granted by the colliery companies on the pit-head prices, can be tell us when these reduced contracts were entered into and with whom?
Mr. BRIDGEMANNo, Sir. What I said was, that the information from the Merchants' Federation was that they had made arrangements with some—I think they said most—of the collieries with which they dealt for a reduction of 7s. in the pithead price of household coal. That, I understand, was after the announcement that the retail price had been reduced.