§ 127. Mr. Lewisasked the Minister of Fuel and Power what amount of dollars are now being spent on the import of coal; what dollar expenditure has been incurred for this purpose during the past 12 months; whether he is aware that the Chinese Government have an exportable surplus of high quality coal for sterling payment; and whether he will make investigations, with a view to obtaining stocks of coal from China.
§ Mr. Joynson-HicksAbout 1¼ million dollars a month, totalling some 2 million dollars during the last 12 months. The purchase of Chinese coal would be a matter for commercial negotiation by the National Coal Board.