§ 3. Mr. McNamaraasked the Minister of Power if he is satisfied that enough coal will be available for power stations in the south of England next winter; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Dickensasked the Minister of Power if he will now make a statement on the estimated inland demand for coal in the 12 months to the end of March, 1967, and the estimated output of coal, deep-mined and opencast, in the same period.
§ Mr. MarshI have had detailed discussions with the Chairman of the National Coal Board, who has advised me that the overall level of coal supplies should be adequate to meet demand next winter. Total output this year is expected to be between 170 and 175 million tons, and inland demand to be in the same range. Ample stocks of industrial small coal are available in the Board's undistributed stocks as a supplement to current production. The seamen's strike interrupted necessary stocking at sea-supplied power stations and gas works in Southern England. It also depleted stocks in Northern Ireland. A major effort is now being made to build up these stocks before the winter.
The National Coal Board is confident that special steps it has taken to maintain the proportion of large coal in total production will result in sufficient supplies of house coal. An exceptionally severe winter like that of 1962–63 would, however, inevitably give rise to special problems.
I shall keep in close touch with the Board, and can assure the House that if, contrary to present expectations, further measures appear necessary, they will be taken.