§ Mr. RENDALLasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will make representation to the Coal Controller about the inadequate supply of coal at Thornbury, Gloucester, so that the present very unsatisfactory condition of things may be remedied?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANI am informed that there has been no acute shortage at Thornbury. Although stocks an; low supplies are flowing regularly, and the position will be watched.
§ Mr. CLYNESasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he. has received a letter from the Lord Mayor of Manchester calling attention to the serious shortage in the coal supply; whether the reserve stock of coal for corporation use will soon be exhausted; whether he is aware that there is only approximately 12,000 tons of house coal coining into the city per week, and that to supply each household in Manchester with only 2 cwt. per week a quantity of 18,000 tons is necessary, and that this quantity does not allow for any reserve, for bad weather; and whether he will take action to secure adequate supplies?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe answer to the first part of the question is in the affirmative. The question of supplies to Manchester is receiving the special attention of the Coal Mines Department.
§ Mr. HOUSTONasked the Prime Minister whether the output of coal in the United Kingdom during the past 12 months has been 50,000,000 to 60,000,000 tons less than during the 12 months prior to the War; whether he is aware of the great shortage of coal for export and steamers' bunkers, resulting in hundreds 1567W of ocean-going vessels being held up and delayed in British ports; whether bunker coal in Liverpool now costs £7 9s. 6d per ton, and that in 1914 it only cost 13s. 6d. per ton; whether during the last fortnight homeward-bound steamers with cargoes of food from the Argentine have been unable to procure bunker coal at St. Vincent and the Canary Islands; whether he is aware of the great shortage of coal for manufacturing, municipal, and domestic purposes, thereby reducing employment and our export of manufactured articles, and causing discomfort and discontent; whether, owing to scarcity and high price, British-owned railways in the Argentine are unable to obtain coal from this country, causing higher prices for wheat and other supplies from the Argentine, from which we are now mainly drawing our supplies, and adversely affecting the exchange with the Argentine; whether shortage, of coal and inefficient railway transport are largely responsible for the increased cost of food and other commodities; and what slops are being taken to obtain a greatly increased output of coal and improved railway transport?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAs regards the price of bunker coal at Liverpool, I would refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on the 8th instant. The position at St. Vincent and the Canary Islands has been, I am glad to say, materially improved during the last week, owing to the fact that vessels chartered for those islands have been loaded in the Bristol Channel under special priority arrangements. The Government are fully alive to the most serious effect of the dimunition as compared with the pre-war period in the output of coal, and are doing air they can to improve the position, and I am pleased to say, that as the result of cooperation between the Coal Mines Department, the Ministry of Transport, and the railway companies, greatly increased movements of coal have been brought about during the last two weeks.