§ 12 and 13. Mr. MAINWARINGasked the Secretary for Mines (1) whether the terms of the letter referred to in the White Paper, signed on behalf of the United Kingdom coal industry and the British Coal Exporters' Federation and sent by them, to the Swedish buyers and users of coal, giving certain assurances regarding prices and quality, etc., of coal, can be made available to Members of the House;
(2) Whether the terms of the letter referred to in the White Paper, signed on behalf of the United Kingdom coal industry and the British Coal Exporters' Federation and sent by them to the Norwegian buyers and users of coal, giving certain assurances regarding prices and quality, etc., of coal, can be made available for Members of the House?
§ Mr. E. BROWNI will circulate in the OFFICIAL REPORT copies of the assurances given on behalf of the United Kingdom coal industry to Swedish and Norwegian buyers and users of coal.
§ Following are copies of the assurances:
§ CENTRAL COAL MINES SCHEME, 1930.
§ 15th May, 1933.
§ The Chairman of the
§ Swedish Trade Delegation,
§ C/o. The Swedish Legation,
§ 27, Portland Place.
§ London, W.1.
§ SIR,
§ The Central Council of Colliery Owners established under the Central Coal Mines Scheme, 1930, and the British Coal Exporters' Federation express their desire and firm intention to fulfil the requirements of Swedish buyers and users of coal by every means within their power. For this purpose the Central Council and the Exporters' Federation each in so far as they are concerned give the following assurances which shall apply during such period as the Commercial Agreement concluded on this day's date between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Kingdom of Sweden shall remain in operation.
908§ I. Availability of Supplies.
§ In accordance with the policy of the Central Council to avoid restricting the supply of coal for export there will be no restriction in the supply of coal to Sweden.
§ II. Guarantees of Quality.
§ The practice ruling at present with regard to the giving of guarantees as to the quality of coal will be maintained.
The usual guarantee of analysis will continue to be supplied on demand in respect of coal sold in whole shiploads, whether the consignment be destined for one buyer or for several purchasers buying in conjunction.
It is, however, understood that a seller of coal to a buyer in Sweden under a guarantee of analysis notwithstanding, the terms of the preceding paragraph, will only be bound by the mean of the analyses of the various samples to be drawn from a full cargo whether a buyer purchases for his own account or for account of himself and other undisclosed buyers.
The sale of coal cargoes accompanied by a guarantee of analysis 6hall not give the right to delivery of coal other than the qualities agreed upon between buyer and seller.
The present practice with regard to bonus and penalty arrangements in respect of the various kinds of coal will remain unaltered except by agreement between the parties concerned.
Consideration will be given from time to time to the adoption of such measures in relation to guarantees as experience may prove to be necessary and practicable in order that adequate satisfaction may be given to the technical requirements of purchasers of United Kingdom coal in Sweden.
§ III. Prices.
§ Under the Coal Mines Schemes it is only possible to have one minimum price for a particular class of coal for export irrespectively of destination.
There will be no attempt, whether by means of the Coal Mines Schemes, or by the operation of concerted voluntary arrangements, such as cartels, monopolies, central selling organisations, or similar steps of Governmental or private nature, whereby free competition is abolished or altered conditions of sale are introduced, to fix higher prices for Sweden than are charged to buyers of United Kingdom coal in other export markets. Swedish buyers will be left entirely free to place their orders in the district in the United Kingdom where the conditions of sale at the time in question are most advantageous.
§ IV. Preparation of Coals.
§ Special care will be given to the necessity of making every endeavour to ensure the satisfaction of Swedish buyers as regards quality, sizing and screening of coals, and stem and dispatch.
909§ V. Stem and Dispatch Arrangements.
§ The representatives of the coal industry of the United Kingdom will, if so requested by the representatives of the Swedish buyers, convene a small committee representative of the various interests concerned with a view to discussing the arrangements in regard to stem and dispatch in so far as these may affect the coal trade of the United Kingdom with Sweden.
§ VI. General.
§ Under no circumstances shall Sweden be placed in a less favourable position as regards the purchase of coal from the United Kingdom than any other country.
§ VII. Complaints.
§ Any complaints on the part of Swedish coal consumers which may arise out of these assurances will fall to be dealt with under the machinery as set out in Part I of the Protocol to the Commercial Agreement.
§ Yours faithfully,
§ (Signed) EVAN WILLIAMS,
§ Chairman, Central Council,
§ Central Coal Mines Scheme.
§ (Signed) W. LINDSAY CARLOW,
§ Chairman,
§ British Coal Exporters' Federation.
§ CENTRAL COAL MINES SCHEME, 1930.
§ 15th May, 1933.
§ The Chairman of the Norwegian
§ Trade Delegation, c/o The
§ Norwegian Legation, 21,
§ Cockspur Street,
§ London, S.W.I.
§ SIR,
§ The Central Council of Colliery Owners established under the Central Coal Mines Scheme, 1930, and the British Coal Exporters' Federation express their desire and firm intention to fulfil the requirements of Norwegian coal buyers and users by every means within their power. For this purpose the Central Council and the Exporters' Federation each in so far as they are concerned give the following assurances which shall apply during such period as the Commercial Agreement concluded on this day's date betwen the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway shall remain in operation.
§ I.Availability of Supplies.
§ In accordance with the policy of the Central Council to avoid restricting the supply of coal for export there will be no restriction in the supply of coal to Norway.
§ II.Guarantees of Quality.
§ The existing practice with regard to the giving of guarantees will be maintained. Exporters will be prepared at all times to furnish guarantees of analysis and to provide for penalties and bonuses in their contract forms on condition that within the limits of the buyer's requirements the actual choice of the coal to be delivered is left to the exporter's discretion.
910 The usual guarantee of analysis will continue to be supplied on demand in respect of coal sold in whole shiploads, whether the consignment be destined for one buyer or for several purchasers buying in conjunction.
It is however, understood that a seller of coal to a buyer in Norway under a guarantee of analysis notwithstanding the terms of the preceding paragraph, will only be bound by the mean of the analyses of the various samples to be drawn from a full cargo whether a buyer purchases for his own account or for account of himself and other undisclosed buyers.
The sale of coal cargoes accompanied by a guarantee of analysis shall not give the right to delivery of coal other than the qualities agreed upon between buyer and seller.
The present bonus and penalty arrangements will remain unaltered except by agreement between the parties concerned.
In general, consideration will be given from time to time to the adoption of such measures in relation to guarantees as experience may prove to be necessary and practicable in order that adequate satisfaction may be given to the technical requirements of purchasers of United Kingdom coal in Norway.
§ III. Form of Contract.
§ The terms of contracts shall be according to the British-Scandinavian general conditions (agreed between the British Coal Exporters' Federation and the Scandinavian Coal Importers' Federation) as they are now or may be modified by mutual consent.
§ IV. Prices.
§ Under the Coal Mines Schemes it is only possible to have one minimum price for a particular class of coal for export irrespectively of destination.
There will be no attempt, whether by means of the Coal Mines Schemes, or by the operation of concerted voluntary arrangements, such as cartels, monopolies, central selling organisations, or similar steps of governmental or private nature, whereby free competition is abolished or altered conditions of sale are introduced, to fix higher prices for Norway than are charged to buyers of United Kingdom coal in other export markets.
Norwegian buyers will be left entirely free to place their orders in the district in the United Kingdom where the conditions of sale at the time in question are most advantageous.
§ V. Preparation of Coals.
§ Special care will be given to the necessity of making every endeavour to ensure the satisfaction of Norwegian buyers as regards quality, sizing and screening of coals, and stem and dispatch.
§ VI. Stem and Dispatch Arrangements.
§ The representatives of the coal industry of the United Kingdom will, if so requested by the representatives of the Norwegian buyers, convene a small committee repre- 911 sentative of the various interests concerned with a view to discussing the arrangements in regard to stem and dispatch in so far as these may affect the coal trade of the United Kingdom with Norway.
§ VII. General.
§ Under no circumstances shall Norway be placed in a less favourable position as regards the purchase of coal from the United Kingdom than any other country.
§ VIII. Complaints.
§ Any complaints on the part of Norwegian coal consumers which may arise out of these assurances will fall to be dealt with under the machinery as set out in the Protocol to the Commercial Agreement.
§ Yours faithfully,
§ (Signed) EVAN WILLIAMS,
§ Chairman, Central Council, Central Coal Mines Scheme.
§ (Signed) W. LINDSAY CARLOW,
§ Chairman,
§ British Coal Exporters' Federation.
§ 14. Mr. MOLSONasked the Secretary for Mines what the estimated annual exports of British coal to Norway and Sweden, respectively, will be after the trade agreements have come into operation; and how that estimate is arrived at?
§ Mr. E. BROWNIt is expected that, as a result of the trade agreements, the minimum imports of coal from the United Kingdom into Sweden and Norway will amount to 2,129,000 metric tons and 1,265,000 metric tons a year, representing 47 per cent. and 70 per cent., respectively, of the total imports of foreign coal into Sweden and Norway in 1932. The total imports into Norway exclude coal produced by Norwegian owned mines in Spitzbergen.
§ Mr. MOLSONCan the hon. Member say bow that figure compares with the exports from this country to Norway and Sweden in March, 1933?
§ Mr. BROWNNot without notice, but I can give the figures for the year previous to the beginning of negotiations, i.e., 1931, if the hon. Member wishes to have them. The increases are, for Sweden, 1,062,000 tons, and, for Norway, 538,000 tons.