§ Mr. N. McLeanasked the Paymaster-General (1) what percentage of the timber bought by the National Coal Board for use in English and Welsh coal mines is grown in the United Kingdom, in Scotland, and imported from abroad, respectively;
(2) what percentage of the timber bought by the National Coal Board for use in Scottish coal mines and for other purposes is grown in Scotland, in the United Kingdom, and imported from abroad, respectively.
§ Sir I. HorobinI am informed that in 1957 about 40 per cent. of the timber acquired for use in English and Welsh coal mines was grown in the United Kingdom and 60 per cent. was imported. The corresponding figures for Scottish mines were about 87 per cent. grown in the United Kingdom and 13 per cent. imported. No figures are available showing what proportion of the home-grown timber came from Scotland, but it is the policy of the National Coal Board to 107W use as much home-grown—including Scottish— mining timber as possible, provided the price and quality are acceptable, and the proportion of home timber used, which has been steadily increasing, is now the highest since 1945.