63. Mr. W. JOSEPH STEWARTasked the Secretary for Mines what is the amount of British coal that has been exported under the trade agreements since 1933 to Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland, and the Argentine; and how many miners have been placed in employment in this country owing to those agreements having been made?
§ Captain CROOKSHANKAs the reply involves a number of figures, I will, with 1050 the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ Exports of United Kingdom coal to the countries named amounted to 5,712,827 tons in 1931, 8,272,087 tons in 1933, 9,942,739 tons in 1934, and 9,908,705 tons in 1935. As certain countries were already, in 1932, increasing their imports of coal from the United Kingdom in anticipation of trade agreement negotiations, the year 1931 is regarded as a more suitable basis of comparison. The increase in shipments to the six countries in 1935, as compared with 1931, amounted to 4,195,878 tons. As regards the last part of the question, it is probably sufficient for me to say that 4,195,878 tons represents the working of about 3,500,000 man-shifts.