§ Captain BOWYERasked the President of the Board of Trade (1) whether he is aware that the present shortage of coal stocks to gas undertakings involve the danger of a cessation of public lighting and of the only means of cooking and lighting in use in a number of working-class homes; that there is a possibility that the public, in view of this risk, will revert to the use of raw coal as fuel; and whether, in view of the fact that this would entail very considerable waste of heat energy and a still further demand upon the coal resources of the country, he will take such steps as are necessary to remove the possibility of these risks; (2) whether he is aware that, although the output of coal has greatly increased since the Armistice, the supplies to gas undertakings are less satisfactory than those maintained during the War; that since December, 1919, when the rebate of 10s. per ton was allowed to domestic consumers, the supplies to gas undertakings have decreased still further; and that there are over 400 gas undertakings with less than one week's supply; and what steps can be taken to improve this state of affairs, in view of the fact that colliery owners naturally prefer to obtain the full price from sales for industrial purposes rather than to have to wait to obtain from the Government the amount deducted in respect of coal used for domestic purposes?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI will answer these questions together. I am aware that certain gas undertakings have experienced difficulties in obtaining adequate supplies of coal, and it was partly on this account that the scheme outlined by the Leader of the House on the 16th February, in his answer to the question by the hon. and gallant Member for Holborn, was formulated. Under this scheme, which is now in operation, household and domestic coal, and coal for public utility undertakings, is given priority over coal for industrial use. I have no evidence to show that the1124W difference in the charge made for industrial, household and domestic coal is responsible for the shortage to which the hon. Member refers.
§ Captain BOWYERasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that gas undertakings carbonise not more than 20,000,000 tons of coal per annum; that this must, however, be of a type suitable for carbonisation: that if this quantity were treated as a separate item in the amounts allocated to public utility undertakings the gas undertakings would have no difficulty in obtaining it; and whether, in view of the fact that public utility undertakings are to be given priority of supply over railways and all industries, he will make the separate allocation suggested above in order to render the priority of supply referred to?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI am fully aware of the facts mentioned in the question, and, so far as possible, the quantities of coal allocated to gas undertakings are already dealt with separately.