§ 13. Mr. H. Hyndasked the Paymaster-General whether he will take powers by regulation to ensure that the reduced 13 summer prices for coal are passed on to the consumer.
§ Mr. MaudlingMy noble Friend has no power to make such regulations.
§ Mr. HyndThe Question asked whether the right hon. Gentleman will take power; otherwise, whatever price the Coal Board might fix for coal in the summer there is no guarantee at all that private merchants will pass that on to the consumer. Can the right hon. Gentleman do something about it?
§ Mr. MaudlingThese powers previously existed by Defence Regulation, and my noble Friend would certainly not contemplate restoring the Defence Regulations. It is in the interests of the Coal Board and the consumers to get this working effectively.
§ Mr. RobensWhen the right hon. Gentleman told my hon. Friend the Member for Brixton (Mr. Lipton) that he must "Wait and see" whether the Coal Board is to reduce prices, was he aware that the Coal Board has already indicated that it proposes to reduce the summer price by £1 a ton to the coal distribution trade? Now that the Minister has taken away his own responsibility in this matter that £1 a ton may or may not be passed on as an advantage to consumers. What benefit will it be to the National Coal Board in distributing stocks if it reduces prices and there is no guarantee that the distributors will do the same?
§ Mr. MaudlingWithout accepting the premise of that question, I am bound to say that I consulted the Coal Board this morning and it assured me that no such announcement has been made.
§ Mr. RobensWill the Minister answer the second part of the Question about whether the distributors will pass on any of the price reduction given to them by the National Coal Board?
§ Mr. MaudlingThat must be a hypothetical question.