28. Mr. McKieasked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number of tons of coal exported from Great Britain to Switzerland in the 12 months preceding 1st February, 1947.
§ Mr. ShinwellDuring the 12 months ended 31st January, 1947, exports of coal from the United Kingdom to Switzerland amounted to 24,700 tons, which consisted entirely of inferior unscreened opencast coal and opencast slacks.
§ Mr. ShinwellNot necessarily.
§ Major Legge-BourkeDoes the Minister recollect that some time ago he stated in this House that opencast coal was of quite good quality, and in view of the fact that he has now said that the quality of coal going to Switzerland is very bad should he not modify that statement?
§ Mr. ShinwellI have no reason to modify my opinion. What I referred to in the answer was unscreened opencast coal and opencast slack. The coal varies in quality, as the hon. and gallant Member knows; some is good and same not so good.
40. Mr. De la Bèreasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will give an assurance that no coal can be exported or supplied to ships as bunker without the licence of his Department; and, in view of the fact that full information and statistics are made available to foreign countries through the European Coal Organisation, it is now possible to publish actual figures of export coal and its 635 destination, together with the figures of bunker coal supplied to ships in the United Kingdom, apart from coal shipped to bunker stations abroad.
§ Mr. ShinwellNo coal, coke or manufactured fuel may be exported from this country as cargo until an export certificate has been granted by my Ministry. Demands for bunkers for foreign-going ships, other than fishing trawlers, are individually controlled in consultation with the Ministry of Transport.
As regards the second part of the Question, I would refer the hon. Member to the full information given in the Accounts relating to Trade and Navigation of the United Kingdom, published monthly by H.M. Stationery Office. I would remind the hon. Member that, apart from shipments to bunker depots and the Services abroad, out coal exports in 1946 consisted almost entirely of very low qualities such as dross, slurry, unscreened opencast, etc.
Mr. De la BèreDoes the right hon. Gentleman suggest that no coal was shipped to France by the European Coal Organisation other than bunker coal? Why is it that we go on shipping coal, so badly wanted in this country, time after time?
§ Mr. ShinwellThe coal shipped to France was quite different from bunker coal. As I have informed the hon. Gentleman frequently, the coal we have actually exported is of very inferior quality.