§ Sir J. Nallasked the Secretary for Mines what quantity of slack and small coal is now held unsold in stock by the collieries of Great Britain; how many collieries are engaged in crushing large coal to make slack; and whether the central selling organisation takes any steps to reduce the crushing of large coal when the stock of slack and smalls is increasing?
§ Captain CrookshankThe information furnished to the Mines Department regarding stocks of unsold coal held by collieries in Great Britain does not differentiate between size. Coal breaking or crushing plant was used at 376 collieries during the whole or part of the year ended 30th June, 1938, the latest period for which information is available. I have no information with regard to the last part of the question, but since crushing large coal adds to the cost of production I think it can be assumed that when the normal production of slack and smalls is more than adequate to meet demands, the collieries would, as a matter of commercial practice, cease to crash large coal.