§ Mr. Mainwaringasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether the announcement of 15 cwts. of coal being available for households during the months of May and June is meant to be applicable in South Wales; and why is it that only 95 cwt. per week is being made available in Rhondda.
Major Lloyd GeorgeThe announcement to which my hon. Friend refers does1736W apply to South Wales, but it does not state that 15 cwts. of coal are available for every household. The position is that in South Wales and in the Northern Regions not more than 15 cwts. may be supplied to any controlled premises during May and June.
With regard to the second part of the Question, the figure quoted by my hon. Friend is the average amount per registration allocated to merchants in the Rhondda district. I have already explained in answer to my hon. Friend on 23rd November last the relation between the average allocation and the maximum permitted quantity. I am satisfied that, in all the circumstances, the tonnage allocated to merchants in South Wales represents that district's fair share of the total tonnage available and as regards its distribution, I would remind my hon. Friend that not all premises will require coal during the summer months, and that many will require less than one cwt. per week, so that those which require more than the average, either for consumption or stocking, should be able to obtain up to the maximum permitted quantity.