§ 1. Mr. Jannerasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether in view of the necessity for the use of smokeless types of fuel, he will take steps to control the price of these fuels and to ensure that fuels sold to consumers are of a sufficiently high grade for their purposes.
§ The Minister of Fuel and Power (Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd)The National Coal Board and the gas boards fully realise the need for providing high grade smokeless fuels. The maximum prices have been prescribed since 1939.
§ Mr. JannerAs it is highly important that people should be induced to use these fuels, will not the Minister at least do something about controlling the price so that people can be satisfied that they are getting equal value in heat?
§ 11. Mr. T. Reidasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will allocate smokeless fuels to merchants in Swindon in the same way as coal is allocated according to the number of registrations held by the merchants.
§ Mr. Geoffrey LloydNo, Sir. Consumers' requirements of smokeless fuels vary very widely and allocations based on the number of premises registered would not be satisfactory.
§ Mr. ReidIs the present system of distribution fair, and does it allow merchants to get all the smokeless fuel they are able to sell?
§ Mr. GibsonHave the supplies of smokeless fuels in the London area, particularly the south-western area, increased in the last week or two? There have been serious complaints.
§ 18. Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Fuel and Power what is the thermal value of coke and smokeless fuel per cwt. to domestic consumers compared with average quality coal; and what estimates he has made of the comparative real financial advantage to consumers in respect of these types of fuel.
§ Mr. Geoffrey LloydThe thermal contents of high and low temperature cokes are approximately 265 and 280 therms per ton, respectively, compared with 280 for average quality house coal. Some financial saving can be achieved by using coke, on account of its greater efficiency of combustion in a suitable appliance that is properly operated.
§ Mr. SorensenWould the Minister make some of these facts more widely known, as quite a number of people are either under a misunderstanding or ignorant of the facts, and, therefore, they sometimes buy the wrong kind of fuel and get different results from those they expected? Will he make the information much more public?
§ Mr. HastingsCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether he referred to dry coke or to the wet coke usually supplied to consumers?