HC Deb 11 March 1925 vol 181 cc1358-9W
Mr. LAWSON

asked the Secretary for Mines if he will name the countries to which British coal was exported for the years 1913, 1923, and 1924; and, in the cases where a country has reduced its demand, whether he can indicate the cause or causes of such reduction?

Colonel LANE-FOX

The following table shows the principal countries to which British coal was exported in the years 1913, 1923 and 1924 and the total quantities exported:

Destination. 1913. 1923. 1924.
Russia (including Succession States) 5,998,434 1,481,645 1,225,284
Scandinavia (including Denmark and possessions) 9,895,684 7,948,394 8,922,805
Germany 8,952,328 14,806,232 6,824,071
Netherlands 2,018,401 6,794,346 2,743,903
Belgium 2,031,077 6,504,592 3,329,885
France and French Possessions 14,483,779 20,321,786 16,190,432
Portugal and Portuguese Possessions 1,589,213 1,085,402 1,227,498
Spain and Spanish Possessions 3,653,601 1,777,507 2,229,846
Italy and Austria-Hungary 10,703,795 7,607,488 6,706,198
Turkey and Balkan States 1,406,198 724,848 951,069
Egypt, including Anglo-Egyptian Sudan 3,162,477 1,706,851 1,812,885
North America (United States; Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador). 100,269 1,176,829 397,482
South America:
Pacific States 605,345 36,377 70,392
Atlantic States 6,324,794 4,031,213 4,345,005
Channel Islands, Gibraltar, Malta and Gozo 1,222,675 914,683 1,087,636
Aden, British India and Ceylon 600,053 317,791 349,333
Other Destinations 651,995 738,060 765,693
Total 73,400,118 77,974,044* 59,179,417*
*Not including coal exported to the Irish Free State.

It is not possible to answer the last part of the question adequately within the limits of a reply to a Parliamentary question; but speaking generally, the principal causes of the reduction in exports in 1924, as compared with 1913, were industrial depression, increased competition by other coal-producing countries, and the development of other sources of power. In 1923 the effect of these causes was partially masked by the dislocation of the Ruhr coalfield.

Mr. STEPHEN MITCHELL

asked the President of the Board of Trade if he is aware that the coal export trade has decreased in an alarming manner during the last 12 months and, in consequence, there is much unemployment and short time in the coalfields; and, seeing that to a large extent this is due to reparations in kind by Germany, what action does he propose to take in the matter?

Colonel LANE-FOX

I am only too well aware of the regrettable decrease in the coal export trade in 1924, but I do not accept the hon. Member's diagnosis of its cause. If he will refer to an answer that I have given to-day to a question of the hon. Member for Chester-le-Street he will find an indication of what are, in my opinion, the chief causes of the decrease.