HC Deb 01 February 1954 vol 523 cc27-8
50. Mr. Bartley

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to state, for each National Coal Board division and for Great Britain as a whole the extent to which the board is the distributing agency for retail of domestic coal supplies; the extent to which this coal distribution by the board has increased since the passing of the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act, 1946; and how far it is his policy to encourage the board to acquire privately-owned domestic coal selling agencies.

Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd

This is primarily a matter for the National Coal Board under its powers accorded in the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act and over Great Britain as a whole, the National Coal Board's share of the domestic coal trade has increased during the last seven years by about one-tenth of 1 per cent.: it now stands at 2.9 per cent.

With permission, I will circulate the figures for particular divisions in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Bartley

Is the Coal Board's retail distribution more economic than the privately-owned system of distribution? What difficulty prevents the taking over of this part of the distribution system?

Mr. Lloyd

I think that the efficiency of the various retail distribution systems will best be judged by the public themselves when, as we hope, price control and restrictions are soon done away with.

Mr. Noel-Baker

Can the Minister say what is his answer to the last part of the Question?

Mr. Lloyd

I said that that was primarily a matter for the Coal Board.

Following are the figures:

NUMBER OF REGISTRATIONS WITH THE NATIONAL COAL BOARD FOR DOMESTIC COAL SUPPLIES ON VESTING DATE AND ON 31ST OCTOBER, 1953
National Coal Board Division Vesting Date (1st January, 1947) 31st October, 1953
Scotland 24,493 20,367
Northern (N. & C.) 73,596 41,190
Durham 37,411
North Eastern 34,152 32,745
North western 159,536 208,583
East Midlands 23,850 29,460
West Midlands 48,901 69,852
South Western 47,673 42,187
South Eastern 603 424
Total Registrations with National Coal Board 412,804 482,219
Total Registrations Great Britain 14,904,554 16,624,231
Percentage: National Coal Board 2.8 2.9