42. Mr. E. P. Smithasked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) if he will take steps to ensure that, during the coming summer, all available peat is cut in this country to alleviate next winter's domestic fuel distress; whether he will consider the importation of peat from Eire and elsewhere and if he will fix the price at an economic level and see that supplies are made as 'generally available as possible;
(2) what is the annual production of peat in the British Isles; and if this can be extended.
§ Mr. ShinwellI would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 13th March to the hon. Member for the Western Isles (Mr. M. MacMillan). No statistics of peat production in Great Britain are available. The peat available for fuel is insufficient for general distribution and I am afraid that the difficulties in the way 333 of controlling its price effectively are overwhelming. Neither Eire nor Denmark, which are the nearest feasible sources of supply, have peat available for export.