FUEL CUTS IN BRITAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 December 1946, Page 7

FUEL CUTS IN BRITAIN

COMPULSORY REDUCTION ORDERED THE COAL SITUATION LONDON, December 5. The Minister of Fuel and Power (Mr E. Shinwell) has notified industry that it must cut the use of gas and electricity by 2! per cent, in the first three months of the New Year, and it must also aim at a 5 per cent, reduction in coal consumption to get through the winter without serioqs interruption. Essential industries are exempted. . No compulsory restrictions are proposed for domestic consumers, but Mr Shinwell made a further appeal to them. “It is essential particularly that they should use less electricity, otherwise people will be thrown out of work and industry dislocated,” he said. Explaining the need for the cuts, Mr Shinwell, at a press conference, said the total weekly coal output was 4.4 per cent, higher than a year ago and having regard to the decline in manpower this must be considered satisfactory. But consumption had also gone up and was now 6.7 per cent, higher than a year ago. Supplies this winter might fall short oi total requirements by between 2,000,000 and 5,000,000 tons. Mr Shinwell said that the improved coal position in September and October had been maintained m November, when the weekly average output of deep-mined coal was 3,735,000 tons—4B,ooo tons better than October (October was 120,000 tons ahead of October, 1945). Heavy rain had reduced the open cast output to 160,000 tons, which was 43,000 tons below the October figure. The total production for the four weeks of October was 15,566,000 tons, which was 598,000 tons above October, 1945. . Consumption had increased from 3,492,000 tons a week in October, 1946, to 3,801,000 tons a week last month. •