Mr. H. Stewartasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will explain more fully than is set out in the official notice of his Ministry the reasons why the allocation of domestic coal for the next period is to be only 25 cwt. for Scottish householders, compared with 4o cwt. for the North of England and Wales.
§ Mr. T. SmithThe quantities of 25 cwt. and 40 cwt. are not comparable, the former being for the four months' period July-October and the latter for the six months May-October. The reason for having a different restriction in Scotland is, however, that the deficiency in supplies, intensified by industrial disputes,1168W has been more serious than in the North of England and, after a careful examination of both the supply and stock position, a separate restriction, which includes a lower limit for consumers' stocks, was considered advisable to secure the equitable distribution of the coal available.