§ 86. Mr. Gunterasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he has now given consideration to the resolution recently sent him by the Essex Area Council of the Old Age Pensioners Association dealing with increased coal allocation for persons entirely dependent upon coal for cooking and heating; and with what result.
§ Mr. Robens. Yes. My right hon. Friend has sent my hon. Friend a copy of the reply sent to the Association.
§ 88. Mr. Keenanasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that the coal supply on Merseyside is so insufficient that the Liverpool Association of Coal Owners, and Merchants, and the Birkenhead Wallasey and Wirral Coal Merchants Association are circularising their customers, to say the 15 cwt. allocation permitted during the three months ending 31st January, 1948, is not possible, and only 11 cwt. to 12 cwt. can be supplied if the full tonnage is forwarded to them; and what is the reason for this shortage.
§ Mr. RobensI am aware of the circular to which my hon. Friend refers. As has been repeatedly made clear in my 235W Department's Press announcements and advertisements the maximum permitted quantities are not rations to which consumers are entitled but are limits up to which they may buy according to their needs if supplies are available. Supplies in the Liverpool, Birkenhead, Wallasey and Wirral areas, as elsewhere, while insufficient to provide the maximum for all consumers, should be enough to enable merchants to deliver on average the same quantity per household this winter as last.
§ 92. Mr. Awberyasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that there is only one registration of coal per house; that this is causing hardship to families who rent rooms; and what steps he is taking to allocate coal to every family occupying separate rooms in the same house during the coming winter.
§ Mr. RobensSupplies of coal are not sufficient to allow separate registrations for all sub-tenants whatever their circumstances, though local fuel overseers may grant a separate registration in appropriate cases. I am aware that sharing of coal may sometimes cause inconvenience, but local fuel overseers are instructed to treat sub-tenants as sympathetically as the situation permits in granting supplementary allowances.
§ 95. Commander Purseyasked the Minister of Fuel and Power the percentage of the allocation of 5 cwt. of coal for domestic consumers, for the four weeks ending 29th November, supplied to Hull; what was the percentage used to increase stocks in merchants' yards and for licence deliveries of coal, respectively; and what should have been the average delivery, per registered consumer.
§ Mr. RobensI regret that the required information cannot be obtained without elaborate investigation involving much time and labour which cannot be justified in present circumstances.
115. Mrs. Patonasked the Minister of Fuel and Power when Mr. Wilfred White, 4, Burton Road, Charlton, Nottingham, may expect a reply to his letter of 4th November dealing with the reduction in his allocation of coal.
§ Mr. RobensThere is no record of this letter having been received. The matter is, however, being urgently investigated following the receipt of the copy recently236W forwarded by my hon. Friend and my right hon. Friend will communicate with her as soon as inquiries have been completed.
§ 116. Mr. Bramallasked the Minister of Fuel and Power what steps he proposes to take to ensure that this winter residents in the London Region receive the allocation of coal to which they are entitled.
§ Mr. RobensWe shall continue to give every possible consideration to the needs of domestic consumers but my hon. Friend will appreciate that these have to be balanced against the requirements of industry and the necessity for exporting coal. The permitted quantities are not rations to which consumers are entitled and I cannot say more at present than that supplies of coal including withdrawals from stock, should ensure that the amount available per household in London this winter is as much as last year.