§ 18. Mr. Speedasked the Minister of Power if he is satisfied as to the action being taken to promote coal exports from undistributed stocks; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. MasonYes. Some stock is unsuited or ill-located for export sales, but it may replace other supplies which can then be exported. Undistributed stocks are 5 million tons lower than they were a year ago.
§ Mr. SpeedDoes the Minister expect that exports in the current year will reach 3 million tons and next year will reach 5 million tons, as forecast in the National Coal Board's accounts, because these figures are considerably above the forecast in the 1967 Fuel White Paper?
§ Mr. MasonI cannot guarantee that those figures will be achieved, but already in the first five months of 1969 1½ million tons of coal have been exported, 60 per cent. more than that exported in the first five months of 1968.