§ 74. Mr. Hamiltonasked the Minister of Fuel and Power to publish in the Official Report a detailed statement concerning his Department's survey of Scottish coal merchants' distribution costs, showing the trend of those costs since 1945 and the margins of profit allowed to such merchants.
§ Mr. Joynson-HicksI am circulating below a statement showing at various dates the average margin allowed to merchants in Scotland to cover distribution costs and profit. The details of the surveys however are necessarily confidential between the merchants co-operating in them and my right hon. Friend's Department, and it would not be right for me to disclose them.
RETAIL COAL PRICES IN SCOTLAND: AVERAGE MERCHANTS' MARGINS ON SELECTED DATES Date Whole country (per ton) s. d. 31st December, 1945 15 4 6th March, 1947 16 9 15th May, 1950 17 6
Area "A" Area "B" s. d. s. d. 1st June, 1951 20 3 19 4 1st April, 1952 21 1 20 2 10th September, 1953 21 8 20 9 Area "A"—Counties of Renfrew, Dunbarton and North Lanark and the cities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee and Aberdeen. Area "B"—Rest of Scotland. NOTES
1. The margin shown covers all costs of distribution by the merchant as ascertained at the dates indicated.
2. The margin includes an allowance for interest on capital, provisions for reserves, profit, etc. of 1s. per ton in 1945–1950, 1s. 6d. per ton in 1951 to 1953 and 2s. 3d. per ton in 1954.