Mr Robert Hudson: We realise that it has done very good work, and no one is more pleased than we are on this side of the House. There is one small point upon which I was not quite clear from what the President of the Board of Trade said in opening, and that is the extent to which this Bill makes alterations. It may be because I have been so long out of touch with this particular Department, but I was not...
Mr Robert Hudson: What about the exports which I mentioned?
Mr Robert Hudson: Is it not a fact that rising freights followed immediately on the disorganisation caused by the sudden decision of the Government to demand ships for the import of coal?
Mr Robert Hudson: Does the hon. Gentleman expect to be in office then?
Mr Robert Hudson: Does the right hon. Gentleman mean that the space for the Foreign Office would be greatly increased if fewer despatches came in and more time were given to their consideration?
Mr Robert Hudson: Is the hon. Gentleman aware that the last issue of the "Digest of Statistics" showed that a smaller number of miners had a greater amount of coal this year than in 1938, and that if they had been willing to sacrifice a quarter of the excess over domestic consumption it would have obviated any need to import coal from America?
Mr Robert Hudson: Yes, but I was talking about the last day of December. If the hon. Gentleman takes the figure for 1950 he will find they had five million tons of coal and that if they had been on the domestic ration they would have had just over one million tons.
Mr Robert Hudson: asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what proportion of the increase of 4s. 2d. per ton of coal and of 6s. 3d. per ton of coke represents increased wages costs; and what proportion represents other costs.
Mr Robert Hudson: In view of those figures, does the hon. Gentleman realise that he was grossly unfair to the miners in suggesting in a recent speech that the whole of the increase was due to the rise in miners' wages?
Mr Robert Hudson: If there is a drop this year how can the hon. Gentleman reconcile that with the statement by his right hon. Friend that he had provided 1.6 million tons more for consumers this year than was provided last year?
Mr Robert Hudson: Is the hon. Gentleman aware that, owing to the lack of coordination and planning in the orders of coal and grain and in chartering shipping, there is grave congestion in the ports of this country, and that shipping has had to be diverted to Rotterdam, with the consequent increase in the cost of coal?
Mr Robert Hudson: Will the hon. Gentleman draw his right hon. Friend's attention to this, for he will discover, on reading it, that the information he gave to the House the other day, in answer to a supplementary question, was not in accordance with the facts?
Mr Robert Hudson: In order that the House may get a proper appreciation of this problem, if £140 a ton represents an increase of £20 million to £30 million, how much would £120 a ton cost?
Mr Robert Hudson: Can the right hon. Gentleman say where any of these fugitive alternative fuels are available?
Mr Robert Hudson: In view of the appeal made by the Minister of Labour the other day to employers to do their best for these men of a certain age, will the Minister have another shot at it to see whether more can be done? The stories and letters on the subject that we receive are very terrible. Little employment seems to be achieved by these officers.
Mr Robert Hudson: Yes, but cannot something be done in the Government's services? The Government appeal to private employers but do not take similar action themselves.
Mr Robert Hudson: Will the right hon. Gentleman celebrate his new appointment by seeing that a better example is set by his own Department in employing those over 60?
Mr Robert Hudson: What about consumption?
Mr Robert Hudson: We have had an interesting debate today, which, curiously enough, except—forgive my saying so—for a considerable portion of the speech of the Minister of Fuel and Power, has covered somewhat different ground from that of 12th December. I do not know whether many hon. Members recall that debate, which took place such a very short time ago, or to what they were committed by the terms of the...
Mr Robert Hudson: In addition, under present circumstances and under the present set-up, there is no real possibility of the consumer getting a say. Indeed, I have a pamphlet written by the Fabian Society, who have come round to the view that it is essential that some new form of inquiry, preferably something like a Select Committee, should be set up with power to investigate these matters. Anyone who has...
