§ Mr. Douglasasked the Secretary for Mines, (1) whether he is aware that many families in the borough of Battersea have had no coal for four weeks; that permission to draw upon the reserve of coal has been refused; and what steps he is taking to remedy this state of affairs;
(2) whether he is aware that the quantity of coal arriving in Battersea is totally inadequate to meet the current requirements for household coal; that many families have been without coal for four weeks; and what steps he is taking to expedite and give priority to the transit of coal?
§ Mr. GrenfellThe existence of a shortage of coal in the Battersea area was first brought to the notice of the house coal officer for London on the 26th February. The following day permission was sought to draw from the local Government dump and was immediately granted. On the 521W general coal situation in the London area I would refer my hon. Friend to the answers given to the hon. Member for North Camberwell (Mr. Ammon) on 24th February and to the hon. Member for Harrow (Mr. Bower) to-day. Generally speaking Battersea is receiving a fair share of the available supplies.