§ 66. Mr. Doigasked the Minister of Power if he is aware that certain grades of smokeless fuel are already in short supply in Dundee, and that all grades are dearer than the same grades in 252W Glasgow and are now beyond the means of pensioners and many of the lower-paid workers; and what steps he proposes to take about this.
§ Mr. PeytonThe Scottish Gas Board sells Gloco in Dundee at the same price as in Glasgow and there is plenty of it. Supplies of premium fuels are short but should improve when the new Rexco plant opens in Fifeshire. In heating value smokeless fuels are usually as cheap as the coal which they replace.
§ 68. Mr. Millanasked the Minister of Power if he is aware that old-age pensioners and others on small incomes living in smoke-controlled areas in Glasgow find suitable solid fuel expensive; whether he will have discussions with the suppliers of such fuel with a view to reducing prices; and what is the reason for the size of the differential between summer and winter prices.
§ Mr. PeytonIt is misleading to compare prices by weight only: if correctly used, solid smokeless fuel is more efficient than bituminous coal. It is for the suppliers to determine their prices and my right hon. Friend has neither grounds nor power to intervene. Solid fuel producers offer lower summer prices to encourage stocking.