HC Deb 06 April 1962 vol 657 cc859-61

As amended (in the Standing Committee), considered.

1.2 p.m.

Mr. Henry Clark (Antrim. North)

I beg to move. That the Bill be now read the Third time.

This is a small Bill and I hope the House will not be delayed in dealing with it. The Bill seeks to empower the Minister of Power, who I am very glad to see is present, to appoint representatives of Northern Ireland to the two Coal Consumers' Councils. When the coal industry was nationalised in 1946, the Domestic Coal Consumers' Council and the Industrial Coal Consumers' Council were set up under Section 4, but the 1946 Act applied only to Great Britain. There are virtually no coal mines in Northern Ireland. Therefore, it has been impossible up to the present to appoint representatives from Northern Ireland, though, in fact, consumers in Northern Ireland constitute part of the home market for coal.

I wish to make two short points. The duty of the Coal Consumers' Councils is to consider matters which are placed before them, including representations from consumers. Clause 1 (2) empowers the Coal Consumers' Councils to receive representations from consumers in Northern Ireland. Subsection (1) covers the appointment of representatives. The terms of reference and the scope of the Councils' work cover any matter affecting the sale or supply "— of coal— whether for home use or for export. This wording in the original Act is very useful because it makes a clear line of definition between the Coal Consumers' Councils in Great Britain, to which we hope to send representatives from Northern Ireland, and our own Coal Consumers' Council in Northern Ireland which has been set up for a considerable number of years.

The Coal Consumers' Councils in this country will take an interest in and supervise the supply of coal until it is put into a boat either on the Scottish coast or at Liverpool, and as soon as it gets into the boat it becomes the concern of the Coal Consumers' Council of Northern Ireland. It has not been necessary to amend the main Act or to change the terms of reference.

When the Bill was in Committee the question was raised as to what good Northern Ireland representatives could do. However, I believe that we were able to convince hon. Members opposite that they could do a considerable amount of good. The Coal Consumers' Council of Northern Ireland has been in an awkward position because it has been able to consider the question of coal only when it was put on a boat to come to Ireland. The Council was not able to consider questions such as the origin and quality of coal that was put on the boat. Representatives of Northern Ireland will, I hope, be able to make a considerable contribution to the solution of the problem from which we believe we have suffered for a long time. At any rate, they will be able to discover whether we are suffering from a disablity or whether it is purely fictional.

For some time coal for Northern Ireland has been coming from a colliery in the Midlands. The expense of transporting the coal by rail to Liverpool and then by boat to Belfast is considerably higher than the cost used to be when we got house coal from the Scottish coalfields.

Mr. George Thomas (Cardiff, West)

Why not get it from South Wales? It is nearer to Ireland?

Mr. Clark

I thank the hon. Member for his suggestion. I am sure that we shall be delighted to take South Wales coal if it proves to be cheaper. That is the main consideration.

Another point I should like to make clear is that the terms of reference of the Coal Consumers' Councils refer to home use or for export", which means that they take an interest in the coal which is put into the boat at Liverpool destined for Northern Ireland when Ireland is part of the home market, and we in Northern Ireland take coal at the Coal Board's prices as is done in other parts of the United Kingdom.

Our position, as part of the home market, is brought out clearly by our neighbours to the south of us, who are part of the world market for coal. They receive coal from the Coal Board at the world price. For a considerable time they paid a good deal more for their coal than we did in Northern Ireland. But in the last two or three years we have paid a good deal more for our coal than our neighbours in Southern Ireland, as the world price has fallen below the British price. We have taken the good days, and now we are taking the bad. We are good customers for British coal and I hope that no hon. Member will object to our having a voice in the Coal Consumers' Councils.

This is a small Bill, and I ask the House to see that it goes one stage further without too much delay.

1.7 p.m.

The Minister of Power (Mr. Richard Wood)

I should like to express on my own behalf what, I think, has been expressed at other stages by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, namely, a warm welcome to the Bill, and I should also like to congratulate my hon. Friend the Member for Antrim, North (Mr. H. Clark) on his skill and efficiency in carrying it through all its stages.

Question put and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read the Third time and passed.