§ 98. Mr. Perkinsasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that many people in and near Stroud have no coal and are unable to cook; and why he has refused to take any action to relieve the hardship caused by the failure of the present system.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerRather more coal has been distributed to householders in the Stroud district this winter than last. I am not aware of any case in the district 13W where it has not been possible to arrange a prompt delivery to a consumer who has been in difficulty about coal for cooking and who has asked the local fuel overseer for his help. Additional coal has been offered to merchants in the district who require it; two merchants have accepted this offer, but the majority have refused it, because an undertaking cannot be given that the coal will be in the better quality range. As I explained in my reply of 20th March, to questions by several hon. Members, it is, to my regret, still necessary to supply some low grade coals to the domestic market.
§ 99. Mr. Perkinsasked the Minister of Fuel and Power why he has not answered the letters written to him by the Stroud Rural District Council about the present shortage of coal in the Stroud valleys.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerI regret the delay in replying to these letters. The circumstances are as follows. An unsigned letter was received from the Stroud Rural District Council on 9th March enclosing a copy of a letter dated 7th March addressed to the Ministry's Regional Controller at Bristol. This was acknowledged on 11th March and an investigation of the position was immediately set in train in the Region. In the meantime the hon. Member put down questions on the subject which involved further inquiry and a reply was postponed until all the facts had been ascertained. A further letter was received from the Rural District Council on 23rd March and a full reply will be sent as soon as possible.
§ 105. Mr. Redmayneasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will take action to avoid distributive shortage of household coal next winter by authorising the delivery of the full permitted quantity for 12 months in advance during the summer period to those householders who can accept it.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerI am most anxious that householders should help the nation, the merchants and themselves by placing orders with the merchants during the summer months. But many consumers have not got facilities for stocking coal and to allow some consumers to stock during the summer the full quantity permitted for the whole year, would imperil the principle of fair shares for all.
14W
§ Sir R. Glynasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware that in certain districts of north Berkshire coal merchants have had to decline opencast coal as entirely unfit for domestic purposes; that two trucks were condemned and an equal quantity of coal to that condemned was promised but has not been supplied; that on 10th March the house coal officers' department stated that only opencast coal would be supplied for the Faringdon district where there is now a deficiency of 90 tons although the allocation is for 20 tons per week for 19 weeks; and what steps he is taking to supply good quality coal in adequate quantities.
§ Mr. Noel-BakerI would refer to the statement I made on the 20th March in reply to Questions from several hon. Members. As regards Faringdon there appears to be some misapprehension in the third part of the Question. The opencast coal referred to by the hon. Member was part of a general offer early in March to supplement supplies to certain districts in the Southern Region and this offer was accepted by many merchants. Some additional deep-mined coal has now been sent into Faringdon and other districts. As regards the two trucks referred to in the second part of the Question, I am informed that these were refused as long ago as August, 1948, and that this incident does not, in consequence, affect the present supply position.