MR. GIDEON MURRAYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the Barrow Paper Mills Company have temporarily had to discharge a large number of workpeople owing to their inability to obtain an adequate quantity of coal, with a consequent increase in the number of unemployed in Barrow-in-Furness: and whether he will consider the claims of home industries before sanctioning the export of coal to foreign countries?
§ Mr. BR1DGEMANI understand that the firm made an application to the Coal Controller on the 18th October for a large additional supply of fuel to meet their increased requirements, and that certain fuel was offered to them, but that the difficulty is that they demand washed nuts. The supply of this type of fuel from the districts concerned is very limited, and none is being exported, but the matter is being further investigated with a view to supplying the firm with coal that will meet their requirements.