§ 36. Mr. MARCUS SAMUELasked the Secretary for Mines whether he will take immediate steps to ensure that Welsh mining companies who are in possession of coal quota in excess of their requirements through their inability to ship coal overseas, shall be compelled to sell such surplus quota to those colliery companies who can sell their particular class of coals abroad, or, alternatively, in order to secure the freedom of coal for export from quantitative control, will he take immediate powers to take possession of surplus quota and distribute it himself to those collieries which can sell their coal abroad, and thus assure that foreign business shall not be lost to the country?
§ Mr. E. BROWNSince Section 3 (2) (e) of the Coal Mines Act, 1930, confers on the individual coalowner an unfettered discretion to dispose of his quota tonnage as he thinks proper, there is no power to compel any owner to sell his surplus quota to another owner. I am not prepared to seek powers to distribute such surplus quota myself, and I have no evidence in my possession that export business in South Wales is being lost to the district owing to quantitative regulation. I would remind my hon. Friend that it is open to any coalowner to refer to independent arbitration the question of the standard tonnage of the undertaking of another coalowner if be considers that the constant possession of surplus quota by the latter owner indicates that his standard tonnage is excessive.
§ Mr. MARTINCan the hon. Gentleman say whether this position has improved since the recent Amendment?
§ Mr. BROWNIn South Wales the allocation exceeded the output in 1932 by 5,594,091 tons, and in 1934 by 1,778,607 tons.
§ 37. Mr. DAVID GRENFELLasked the Secretary for Mines what changes, if any, have been effected in the administration of the quota scheme in the South Wales 341 coalfield; and whether he has received recent complaints against the system of distributing quotas to the smaller collieries?
§ Mr. BROWNI know of no change in the administration of the South Wales district scheme apart from that consequent on the introduction of supply standard tonnages on the 1st January, 1935. I have received a few complaints from the smaller collieries in the district, mainly with regard to the difficulty in purchasing quota tonnage.
§ Mr. GRENFELLIn view of the evidence which reaches the Department regarding the unsatisfactory way in which quotas are administered, what steps has the hon. Gentleman taken to call the attention of the responsible persons locally to the complaints?
§ Mr. BROWNThe answer is that the Act contains the machinery. A coalowner if he pleases may go to arbitration, and for the aggrieved persons, either the workers on the one hand or consumers on the other, there is a committee of investigation to which they may direct their complaints.
§ Mr. GRENFELLWhen the Minister receives evidence that schemes are not working satisfactorily, can he not do something in the matter?
§ Mr. BROWNThe hon. Member must not take it that the statement in the question is necessarily accurate in all its particulars.
§ 38. Mr. GRENFELLasked the Secretary for Mines the tonnage of colliery quotas transferred in the South Wales district in 1932 and 1934, by sale and under the pooling system, respectively?
§ Mr. BROWNThe only information in my possession is the total tonnage of quota transferred in South Wales, and this amounted to 2,687,155 tons in 1932 and 3,103,288 tons in 1934.
§ Mr. GRENFELLCan the hon. Gentleman inform the House whether all the transfers were the result of sale, or whether any transfers were arranged through the pool without charge?
§ Mr. GRENFELLasked the Secretary for Mines the amount of district allocation for South Wales in 1932 and 1934, and the number of separate-colliery quotas for each year?
§ Mr. BROWNThe total allocations made by the Central Council to South Wales were 42,452,304 tons in 1932 and 38,728,196 tons in 1934. The information asked for in the second part of the question is not in my possession.
§ 40. Mr. T. SMITHasked the Secretary for Mines whether he has evidence to show whether all collieries in the Midland amalgamated district are at the present time raising their allotted quota of production for export purposes, or whether any of them are not raising their full export quota?
§ Mr. BROWNA letter has been received from the Humber Coal Exporters' Association in which it is alleged that certain collieries in the Midland (Amalgamated) District are not disposing of their full export supply quota, but I have no information in regard to the position of individual collieries in the district. I would add that I understand that the Association have lodged a complaint with regard to supplies of coal for export with the district Committee of Investigation constituted under Section 5 of the Coal Mines Act, 1930.
§ Mr. BROWNThe complaints were made in a telegram of the 17th May, and there is never any delay in the proceedings of this committee, which is a local committee.
§ Mr. MARTINDoes not the central council make representations to the hon. Gentleman on these matters?