§ 24 Commander Purseyasked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) whether the further inquiries into the maldistribution of coal, both among merchants and consumers, in Hull have been completed; and what action he proposes to take with the local fuel overseer, the house coal officer and regional officers in Leeds, particularly those who are members of the trade or connected with a colliery, to prevent a recurrence of such maldistribution in the new coal year May. 1946-April, 1947.
2490 (2) what steps he proposes to take to ensure that small customers in Hull who, through maldistribution, have not received their fair share of the coal actually supplied to the city, some having several hundredweights due to them, will receive their coal before the end of the coal year 30th April, observing that many have to rely on coal alone for cooking as well as heating.
§ Mr. ShinwellMy regional controller has now completed his inquiries and I am expecting a detailed report at an early date. When I have had an opportunity of examining this report I will communicate with my hon. and gallant Friend.
§ Commander PurseyMay I ask the Minister if he is aware that no fuel officer in Hull will accept the responsibility for the equitable distribution of coal in the city, that regional officers have interests in collieries, that the Hull coal officer is a principal of a large firm of coal merchants and that large firms have had more than their equitable share of coal: and will he have a public inquiry into this grave problem of maldistribution to which merchants and customers can give evidence, instead of the present secret hole-and-corner affair by which the public know nothing?
§ Mr. ShinwellThose are precisely the allegations which have been inquired into. So far as I can tell from the evidence available, some of them cannot be sustained, but further inquiries arc, being made.
§ 25. Commander Purseyasked the Minister of Fuel and Power what percentage of the allocation of domestic coal has actually been supplied to Hull during the 14 weeks since 1st January, 1946, or nearest period for which figures are available; and what percentage of their allocation has been supplied, respectively, to Hull Cooperative Society, Risdale and Walker and other merchants in the city.
§ Mr. ShinwellThe percentage of the house coal allocation supplied to the Hull district during the 14 weeks ended 6th April, 1946, was 89.5. The percentages supplied to Hull Cooperative Society, Ridsdale and Walker and other merchants were 88.6, 90.5 and 89.7 respectively.
§ Commander PurseyMay I ask the Minister whether the difference of 6 per cent. in the allocation to the Cooperative 2491 Society has resulted in a deficiency of over 7,000 tons, and that a thousand different customers in various weeks of the 46 weeks have lost 2 cwts. of coal?
§ Mr. ShinwellThere is no difference of 6 per cent. There is a difference of about one or two per cent. at the most. Moreover, it depends very largely on where the coal supplies are provided. If the Hull Cooperative Society purchases from particular collieries, it must take the risk entailed.