§ 33. Mr. Kaberryasked the Minister of Fuel and Power why he allows coal merchants who remain agents for certain collieries to make an agency charge of up to 1s. per ton on industrial fuel supplied from the particular collieries and from which collieries all coal merchants in the area must by this direction obtain supplies.
§ Mr. P. Noel-BakerI have issued no direction about the colliery from which any merchant should obtain his supplies. I understand from the National Coal Board that they took over a number of agency arrangements from the former companies; a few of these are still in force. A decision to end them would be a matter for the Board.