HC Deb 04 August 1966 vol 733 cc678-9
Q1. Mr. Patrick Jenkin

asked the Prime Minister whether the Winter Emergency Committee will continue in being in the forthcoming winter season.

The Prime Minister (Mr. Harold Wilson)

The work will be continued with a slight alteration in the Committee structure.

Mr. Jenkin

Is this Committee going to be something more than the rather hollow facade that it appeared to be last winter, and, if it is, will the Committee undertake an urgent investigation into the allocation of rail tipper wagons which, so I am informed, is going to lead to a serious shortage of solid fuel for domestic consumers, which will be more serious than the effects in many parts of London, including my constituency, last year?

The Prime Minister

I shall have the question of tipper wagons looked into. With regard to the Committee, I explained last year that one job it could not do in January, or the weeks immediately ahead of January, was to deal with the breakdown in the supply by a number of private contractors of plant which had been ordered for last year's programme. One of the changes in the Committee structure will be to see that there is much more vigorous progressing of these private contracts so that we are not short of essential supplies, and that supplies do not break down because of defects at a time when they are most needed.