§ 43. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps are being taken to provide the gas industry with coal of suitable grades and qualities.
§ Mr. P. Noel-BakerThe National Coal Board and the Gas Industry work together closely in all matters affecting the supply of coal to gas works. Their cooperation is described in paragraph 180 of the first Annual Report of the Gas Council.
§ Mr. NabarroHas the attention of the right hon. Gentleman been drawn to an earlier paragraph in the Annual Gas Report (1949–50), which states that 2095 many millions of pounds of additional expenditure was incurred last year by the Gas Board, due to the unsuitable grades of coal which had to be used? What steps is the right hon. Gentleman taking to protect the gas industry against the misdemeanours of the Coal Board?
§ Mr. Noel-BakerThe ash content of the coal supplied to gas works is a very little higher than it was before the war, but that is due to the facts of which I have already spoken, that many of the best seams of gas coal have been worked out, and that the gas industry itself takes seven million tons per annum of coal more than it did before the war, because the demand has so greatly increased.
Miss WardDoes the right hon. Gentleman consider the statement of the Deputy-Chairman of the Gas Council to be legitimate evidence of the bad quality of the coal supplied to the gas industry?
§ Mr. Noel-BakerI am perfectly aware of that statement, and it is fully covered by the explanation I have made.