asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why there has been a fall in coal supplies to meet merchants' allocations in Stockton-on-Tees during March and April; and what action is being taken to make up the allocations before the end of the current period.

Supplies to merchants in Stockton-on-Tees during March were adversely affected by exceptionally heavy demands in the early part of the month for bunker coal for ships which had been storm-stayed and which subsequently came into the loading berths together; by a lower output of opencast coal during continuous wet weather; and by the normal reduction in output of deep-mined coal during the Easter holiday period. There has been a marked improvement in supplies during the first half of April and the National Coal Board hope to be able to make up arrears by the end of the current period.