§ 19. Mr. Morleyasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will give the current retail prices of domestic coal, per ton, in Newcastle, Nottingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Southampton, Portsmouth and London.
§ Mr. Geoffrey LloydWith the hon. Member's permission, I will circulate the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. MorleyIn view of the very great discrepancy as between one part of the country and another in the price of this product of a publicly-owned industry, will the right hon. Gentleman consider devising some means of equalising the price of coal as between different areas?
§ Mr. LloydI can quite understand hon. Members from constituencies far from the coalfields suggesting this, but, of course, I could also understand hon. Members from constituencies near the coalfields taking an exactly opposite view.
§ Sir Waldron SmithersWill my right hon. Friend state in round figures how much the retail price of coal has risen since nationalisation?
§ Sir Herbert WilliamsWill my right hon. Friend arrange in future that Hampshire strawberries shall be the same price in London as they are in Southampton?
§ Following are the figures:
§ The maximum retail prices in each town vary according to quality but prices of Group 4 coals, which are of average quality, are at present as follows:
| Per | ton | ||
| s. | d. | ||
| Newcastle-upon-Tyne | … | 84 | 10 |
| Nottingham | … | 86 | 1 |
| Bristol | … | 108 | 9 |
| Cardiff | … | 95 | 4 |
| Southampton and Portsmouth | … | 124 | 7 |
| London | … | 118 | 3 |
§ These prices include the winter additions, under the summer-winter prices scheme, of 2s. 6d. per ton in Newcastle, Nottingham and Cardiff and of 5s. 0d. per ton in Bristol, Southampton, Portsmouth and London.