§ Mr. J. H. Osbornasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the average cost per ton of coal from North America, Poland and from each of the other major exporting centres now being landed at British ports cif; what was the tonnage imported last year in total, and by grade; and what percentage this is of all EEC imports of coal.
356W
§ Sir G. HoweThe information is as follows
(i) The average cif values per metric tonne of coal imported into the United Kingdom in December 1973, the latest month for which figures are available, are:
From £ United States 14.07 Poland 10.72 West Germany 17.00 Australia 10.08 All Sources 13.84 These averages are not true prices as they are influenced by varying qualities of coal, transport costs and other factors.
(ii) United Kingdom Imports 1973
Thousand metric tonnes Total of which 1,676 Anthracite Graded 120 Cleaned smalls 11 Other 12 Steam coal (including household) Large 1 Graded 79 Cleaned smalls 22 Untreated smalls 147 Other 95 Gas coal 22 Coking coal 1,167 (iii) Information on EEC imports in 1973 is not yet available but the United Kingdom accounted for 11.3 per cent. of imports by the nine member States in 1972.