§ 11. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will consider enabling those householders or tenants who only have a small space for keeping coal to have their allocation of coal reserved on special dumps particularly when they are willing to pay for this in advance.
§ Mr. ShinwellNo, Sir. During the summer merchants are required to put a proportion of their receipts into stock in their own yards to ensure the maintenance of supplies during the winter, particularly to small consumers with inadequate storage space. All merchants are asked to give preference in deliveries to those consumers during the winter.
§ Mr. SorensenIs the Minister aware that there are a large number of people with very small space for storage and that they are put at a disadvantage during the winter compared with those who have storage space? Will the Minister consider that?
§ Mr. ShinwellI am afraid it would be inadvisable and indeed impracticable to set aside coal on order for the winter for certain consumers during the whole of the summer period. It seems to me much better to continue the existing practice of leaving the question of deliveries to be dealt with by the coal merchants and by the local fuel overseers.
§ Mr. ShurmerIs the Minister aware that in the large industrial towns and cities there are thousands of these small houses where there is no accommodation whatever; and would it not be possible to make arrangements for the local fuel office to see that small merchants have an extra stock as compared with the merchants who supply people who have room to store their coal? We all know what happened last winter and in other winters in connection with these small people who have no storage space.
§ Mr. ShinwellI think, apart from the fiscal aspect of the question, that was the substance of my reply.