§ Mr. Haleasked the Minister of Fuel and Power what matters in relation to the production and distribution of coal, electricity and gas, respectively, are now dealt with primarily by his Department and not by the boards of nationalised industry.
§ Mr. Geoffrey LloydThe primary responsibility for the production and distribution of coal, electricity and gas rests on the boards of the industries concerned. But I am responsible, in pursuance of various Orders made under Defence Regulations, for allocating supplies of coal in the national interest. For the time being I am also responsible for the production of coal from opencast sites, but as recently announced, this responsibility is shortly to be transferred to the National Coal Board. My functions in relation to the boards of the nationalised industries are set out in the various nationalisation statutes.