THE EARL OF ROSSLYNMy Lords, I rise to ask His Majesty's Government what tonnage of coal has been raised during the preceding eleven months of this year; what proportion was shipped abroad and what proportion was used for house and industrial consumption; if the Government can state the average price received for each of the above. I may say that I am not asking this Question for any idle purpose.
§ LORD SOMERLEYTONThe tonnage of coal raised in Great Britain during the eleven months ended November 30, 1919, was approximately 207,873,676 tons. During that period the proportion shipped abroad as exports was 32,315,700 tons, or 15.5 per cent. of the output, and 10,838,130 tons (or 5.2 per cent. of the output) were shipped for use of steamers engaged in the foreign trade. The amount of coal delivered to merchants for retail sale for household purposes was 33,656,000 tons, or 16.2 per cent. of the output.
I am very sorry that we cannot give the full particulars for 1919 in further detail, but the figures for 1918 may be of use to my noble friend. Leaving out the exports in 1918, the amount for consumption as 357 household coal was 18 per cent. of the whole, for gasworks 9 per cent., for electricity works 3 per cent., for railways 7 per cent., for general industrial work 10 per cent., making a total of 77 per cent; the remaining 23 per cent. was divided principally between Admiralty bunkers and collieries' own consumption. These figures, as I have said before, do not include exports, and we cannot say what the figures for 1919 are, but the noble Lord may take it that they are practically the same.
I understood that the noble Earl also desired to ask whether the Coal Controller considered that the amount raised by the extra price of coal exported was sufficient to pay the loss caused to those collieries which deal only with household coals. On that I would say that arrangements have already been made to finance, by means of advances, collieries which are in difficulties, as the result of the 10s. reduction in the price of household coal. The Coal Industry (Emergency) Bill provides for the pooling of all profits derived from the raising of coal, including the very large profits which certain collieries are making as a consequence of their being permitted by the Coal Controller to sell their coal for export. The basis of distribution provided in the Bill has the effect of making good losses caused to collieries producing household coal by the reduction of 10s. in the price. The Government is now considering what steps should be taken to arrange the finance of the year in view of the situation which has arisen with regard to the Coal Industry (Emergency) Bill.
THE EARL OF ROSSLYNThe noble Lord did not mention what the average prices for export were for this year.
§ LORD SOMERLEYTONI am sorry I forgot that. The average value per ton f.o.b. of exported coal during the period under notice was 45s. 8d., and the value of coal shipped for the use of steamers engaged in foreign trade may be taken at approximately the same figure. As regards the price of household coal, I am unable to furnish the figure as the information respecting the price of coal sold in England does not distinguish between household coal and coal sold for general inland purposes. That is why I gave the figures for 1918 instead of those for 1919.
THE EARL OF ROSSLYNI am obliged to the noble Lord for his courteous reply; but I really must draw your Lordships attention to the extraordinary attitude of the President of the Board of Trade—