§ 38. Mr. Tinkerasked the Secretary of State for Mines whether he is aware that coal is transferred from one district to another, and coal is brought in to replace what has been sent out; and will he have investigation made to see if this excessive transport can be avoided?
§ The Secretary for Mines (Mr. David Grenfell)I am not aware of any cases of the kind described by my hon. Friend which involve a waste of transport, having regard to the needs of the various consuming areas and to the widely different qualities of coal required for various purposes, but I shall be glad to consider any specific instance which he cares to bring to my notice.
§ Mr. TinkerIf I provide instances where coal has been transferred from one district to another and other coal has been brought in to replace it, will my hon. Friend deal with it and put private enterprise on a better footing?
§ Mr. GrenfellThe considerations to which I referred in my answer will also require due attention. It is no use to complain of coal being brought in from one district to another if a particular quality of coal is required in that district.