HC Deb 21 June 1966 vol 730 cc275-7
33. Sir G. Nabarro

asked the Minister of Power in view of the continuing decline of coal output and related manpower, whether he will state his revised tonnage for 1966, and the anticipated further manpower decline; and whether stocks of domestic coal in all grades are adequate to meet summer pricing demands.

44. Mr. Dickens

asked the Minister of Power if he will state the estimated inland demand for coal in 12 months to the end of March 1967, and the estimated output of deep-mined coal in the same period.

Mr. Marsh

I hope to be able to say something about prospects before the Summer Recess. Supplies should be generally adequate to meet demand during the period of summer prices, but may be affected in places if the seamen's strike is prolonged.

Sir G. Nabarro

Would the right hon. Gentleman have a talk with the Leader of the House and point out to him that it is now five years since the report and accounts of the National Coal Board were debated in the House of Commons. As this matter is long overdue, and because there is anxiety in every part of the House about the run-down of the coal industry and the departure of 1,000 miners a week, should not we have a debate on the subject before the House rises for the Summer Recess?

Mr. Marsh

I am authorised by my right hon. Friend to say that he would have no objection to the Opposition using one of their Supply Days for this purpose.

Mr. Dickens

Would my right hon. Friend bear in mind the need thoroughly to examine again the amount of coal held in stock by the National Coal Board, remembering that some of it is eight years old and may not be fully usable?

Mr. Marsh

This is a matter for the National Coal Board. I will certainly look at the point my hon. Friend makes. At the end of 1965–66 the N.C.B.'s undistributed stocks totalled 18½ million tons. I have no information about the quality of the coal in stock.

Mr. Mendelson

Since more miners are leaving the coal industry than was estimated in the recently-published White Paper, would it not help the campaign which my right hon. Friend has been carrying on in recent speeches—for example, in his speech at the Yorkshire Miners' Gala—and give confidence if he called a halt for the time being to the accelerated closure programme?

Mr. Marsh

The timing of closures is a matter for the National Coal Board, in consultation with the unions concerned. Such inquiries as I have been able to make so far lead me to doubt the extent to which this drift from the pits is caused by loss of confidence in the industry and how much is caused simply by the result of alternative employment being available in a period of full employment.

Mr. Peyton

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the very caution with which he is answering these Questions carries its own message of gloom and pessimism? Does he recall that last winter, in respect of various fuels, the National Coal Board only just marginally got by and that the prospects for this winter are much darker than that? Are these prospects not bad enough to alarm the right hon. Gentleman and his colleagues?

Mr. Marsh

I can think of few things more likely to cause a crisis in the coal industry than that sort of remark—[Interruption.]—presumably made with the authority of his right hon. Friends.

Sir C Nabarro

In view of this series of replies on the coal industry, I beg to give notice that I shall seek to raise the matter on the Adjournment at an early date.