§ Mr. WATERSONasked the President of the Board of Trade if he will at once abolish the datum period of 1917 and, as an alternative, issue supplies as far as coal is concerned on the number of persons registered with merchants?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe present scheme of distribution of coal could not be altered throughout the country in less time than three months. The reason for this is the volume of clerical work involved in checking the necessary statistics and making the proper allocations.