Mr. WATER SONasked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that a shortage of household coal prevails at Stafford, and that the Stafford Co-operative Society, that should have a rationed allowance of 225 tons per month, were only able to secure 170 tons for the month of January and 160 tons for February, and out of the latter 30 tons were obtained from the corporation gasworks, whose own stock is less than a week's consumption; and whether, seeing that the society were 120 tons short of the normal averaged rationed allowance during the two worst months of the year, he will take immediate steps to remedy the hardship which accrues?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe supply of coal to the town of Stafford as a whole is receiving the Controller's attention. There is no rationed allowance of 225 tons per month to the Stafford Co-operative Society, but during the months of January and February that society received 324 tons of coal, an increase of 124 tons on the amount received by them during the corresponding months of 1917.