§ Order of the Day for the House to be put into Committee read.
THE EARL OF ERNEMy Lords, I beg to move that the House do now resolve itself into Committee on this Bill.
§ Moved, That the House do now resolve into Committee.—(The Earl of Erne.)
§ LORD GAINFORDMy Lords, I desire to thank the noble Viscount, Lord Swinton, and the Government for having given an opportunity to those interested in this Bill of putting down Amendments had they desired to do so to-day, but I am authorised to say that, although the assistance provided by the Bill to the exportation of coal is felt to be quite inadequate, the coal trade recognises that no Amendment appears to be possible in this House to increase the amount to be distributed, and it is not now proposed to vary the amounts to be so distributed. The industry, however, desires that it shall be made quite clear to the Government that the exporting collieries do rely on the Government providing further essential assistance by some other measure to enable this country to compete with the subsidised exportation of coal by other countries to neutral markets, and trust that other Government proposals will be brought forward without delay.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR AIR (VISCOUNT SWINTON)My Lords, I am very much obliged to the noble Lord for the statement he has made. Within the limits of the Bill we have really taken a course which I think is agreed by the coal trade to be in their best interests regarding the distribution of what is available. My noble friend knows that the Secretary for Mines has already invited the proper associations to put forward to him any proposals which they may have, and as I said in the debate on the Second Reading of 406 the Bill, obviously the proper time to consider those proposals will be when the whole general policy in regard to the coal industry is under consideration.
§ On Question, Motion agreed to.
§ House in Committee accordingly [The EARL OF ONSLOW in the Chair]:
§ Bill reported without amendment.