§ 19. Mr. Whitlockasked the Minister of Power whether he has given consideration to the proposals of the Robson Committee that the Government should keep closely in touch with the movements of retail coal prices and the reasons for them; and what action he proposes to take.
§ Mr. WoodI have kept myself generally informed, but I think these prices are best left to be settled by competition between traders and between different fuels. The National Coal Board has kept its basic wholesale prices for house-coal unchanged for nearly three years and it is important to the future of the retail coal trade that the prices charged to the final consumer should also be kept down.
§ Mr. WhitlockBut is the right hon. Gentleman aware that, though merchants receive coal in seven quality grades agreed by the trade, they are not compelled to retail at the appropriate prices agreed and some are advertising low grade coal with distinctive trade names and selling it at high grade prices? Does he not agree that this is entirely unsatisfactory and is as bad as selling short-weight deliveries? Will he protect the consumers in some way?
§ Mr. WoodThe hon. Gentleman has raised a number of detailed questions which I should be only too willing to 933 discuss with him, if he would like to discuss them. On the general question, there has been some small increase in retail prices in the last two years, but I think the retailers are perfectly well aware of the very great damage which would be done to the retail coal trade if their prices rose a great deal further.