25. Mr. Jenkinsasked the Secretary for Mines the quantity of coal exported from Great Britain and from Germany for the years 1935, 1936, and to the most recent date of the current year?
§ Captain CrookshankAs the reply involves a number of figures I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the information:
§ In 1935 exports of coal as cargo from the United Kingdom amounted to 38.7 million statute tons, in 1936 to 34.5 million tons and in the first nine months of 192 1937 to 29.9 million tons. The comparable figures for Germany (including the Saar) are 26.7, 27.9 and 28.6 million statute tons, respectively.
26. Mr. Jenkinsasked the Secretary for Mines whether his attention has been called to the rapidly increasing quantity of coal exported from Germany; and whether any steps are being taken to arrest the declining share of Great Britain in the foreign coal markets as compared with Germany; and, if so, what measures are being taken?
§ Captain CrookshankThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. With regard to the second part, I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave on 29th October to my hon. Friend the Member for Newport (Sir R. Clarry).
Mr. JenkinsIs it not a fact that in his reply the hon. and gallant Gentleman then stated that no action at all was being taken and that no action was being contemplated?
§ Captain CrookshankI do not think that that is quite an accurate summary of what I said. Perhaps the hon. Gentleman would look at it again.