HC Deb 06 November 1947 vol 443 c1998
34. Brigadier Rayner

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why customers of a coal supplier convicted for supplying short weight are not allowed to change their supplier.

Mr. Gaitskell

Customers of a coal supplier convicted for supplying short weight are not automatically allowed to change their supplier, because such a rule might, in some circumstances, be very unfair to the merchant. The decision rests, in the first instance, with the local fuel overseer who considers each case on its merits. There is a right of appeal for both consumer and merchant to the regional coal officer.