§ The Minister of Fuel and Power has now appointed the chairmen and members of the two consumers' councils set up under the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act. The chairman of the Domestic Coal Consumers' Council is Dame Vera Laughton Mathews, D.B.E., former Director of the Women's Royal Naval Service, and the chairman of the Industrial Coal Consumers' Council is Sir Ernest W. Smith, C.B.E., D.Sc., a noted fuel technologist and a former President of the Institute of Fuel.
§ Under the Act the Industrial Consumers' Council may consider any matter affecting the sale or supply of coal, coke or manufactured fuel for industrial purposes or purposes involving supply in bulk. Such matters may arise either from representations by consumers or on the initiative of the Council. The conclusions of the Council in appropriate cases will be notified to the Minister of Fuel and Power and the Minister may also ask the Council to report upon matters referred to that body by him. The Domestic Consumers' Council has similar duties in relation to the sale or supply of coal, coke or manufactured fuel for domestic purposes and for any other purpose not covered by the Industrial Council. The 585WA Councils are required to present annual reports to the Minister and these reports are to be laid before Parliament.
§ In the selection of members for these bodies the Minister has taken into account recommendations made to him by bodies representative of the interests concerned. These have included, in the case of the Industrial Council, the Federation of British Industries, the Association of British Chambers of Commerce, the Conjoint Conference of Public Utility Associations, the Chamber of Coal Traders, the Trades Union Congress, the National Union of Manufacturers, the Railway Companies' Association, the Co-operative Wholesale Society, Ltd., the Scottish C.W.S., Ltd., and the British Coal Exporters Federation. In connection with the Domestic Consumers' Council representations were considered from the Association of Municipal Corporations, the Urban District Councils Association, the Rural District Councils Association, the Metropolitan Boroughs Standing Joint Committee, the Convention of Royal Burghs, the Association of County Councils in Scotland, the Trades Union Congress, the National Council of Women, the Coal Merchants Federation, the Co-operative Congress, the Standing Joint Committee of Working Women's Organisations, the Women's Co-operative Guild, the National Federation of Gas Coke Associations, and the National Federation of Women's Institutes.
§ The National Coal Board is represented on both Councils by the Deputy Chairman, Sir Arthur Street, and the Marketing Director, Mr. J. C. Gridley. Dr. E. S. Grumell, Chairman of the Fuel Efficiency Committee of the Ministry of Fuel and Power, is an independent member of the Industrial Council and Professor D. T. A. Townend, Director of the British Coal Utilisation Research Association, is an independent member of the Domestic Council.
§ The term of office of all members in the first instance is three years. It is intended at a later date to appoint a deputy chairman in each Council. The Secretary of both Councils is Mr.H. L. de Bourcier, M.B.E., Ministry of Fuel and Power.