DOCUMENT-IS THE PROPERTY OP H I S BRITANNIC M A J E S T Y ' S
GOVERNMENT)
S E C R E T
a, P. ( 4 7 )
5Q
-
5TH FEBRUARY,
COPY NO.
/
1947
CABINET'
I
DISLOCATION OF COAL S U P P L I E S
Memorandum By t h e
THROUGH TRANSPORT
Minister
of
Fuel, and
DIFFICULTIES
Power
The r e c e n t c o l d w e a t h e r a n d h e a v y g a l e s , h y d i s l o c a t i n g
t r a n s p o r t , have .led t o a most s e r i o u s s i t u a t i o n i n r e g a r d to
the s u p p l y of c o a l .
B r i e f l y , the p o s i t i o n i s as f o l l o w s : ­
( a )
T h i s m o r n i n g , c n t h e N o r t h E a s t C o a s t , 57 s h i p s
loaded w i t h c o a l for t h e " S o u t h were h e l d up i n
p o r t s owing to g a l e s .
Other ships which have
d i s c h a r g e d t h e i r c a r g o e s , of c o a l i n London a n d
t h e S o u t h were h e l d up t h i s m o r n i n g by t h e w e a t h e r
on t h e i r way h a c k t o t h e l o a d i n g ports, on t h e
North East Coast.
( b )
In
( c )
The t r a n s p o r t of c o a l b y r a i l w a y i s s e . r i o u s . l y
i n t e r r u p t e d hy heavy snow.
I n the Midlands­
. a n d i n N o r t h u m b e r l a n d a n d D u r h a m c o l l i e r i e s
have b e e n b l o c k e d b y snow and work i n t e r r u p t e d .
Y e s t e r d a y , for e x a m p l e . I n Durham, the l a r g e
C o n s e t t and Holmside -pits were i s o l a t e d and i n
N o r t h u m b e r l a n d t h e T h r o c k l e y p i t was c l o s e d .
S n o w f a l l s h a v e b l o c k e d the. Woodheacl T u n n e l l i n k i n g
S h e f f i e l d and t h e N o r t h W e s t e r n Region.
In parts
of t h e c o u n t r y i t has p r o v e d i m p o s s i b l e f o r many
miners to get to t h e i r work.
a b s e n t e e i s m on t h i s
a c c o u n t i s a s h i g h a s 50 p e r c e n t , a t some p i t s . - .
( d )
The r a i l w a y s , h a v e p l a c e d m o s t s t r i n g e n t e m b a r g o e s '
on t h e c o n v e y a n c e of a l l t r a f f i c o t h e r t h a n c o a l
h u t i n s p i t e of t h i s , v e r y l i t t l e c o a l i s being­
moved by r a i l w a y .
S o u t h W a l e s t h e h a n d l i n g of c o a l has, b e e n s e r i o u s l y
h e l d up by the f r e e z i r i g - u p of a p p l i a n c e s , i n t h e
docks, a t C a r d i f f and B a r r y .
2.
I m m e d i a t e l y t h e s i t u a t i o n was r e p o r t e d t o
i n e v e r y d i r e c t i o n o p e n t o me t o a l l e v i a t e t h e
I c o n s i d e r i s now o n t h e m e n d s ­
( a )
me I t o o k
situation
action
which
T w e n t y o f t h e 57 s h i p s h e l d u p t h i s m o r n i n g o n t h e
North East Coast have s a i l e d s o u t h this, a f t e r n o o n
and I hope t h a t t h e s a i l i n g of the r e m a i n d e r w i l l
sS jh o r t l y b e p o s s i b l e .
-I % %
e3 t$
END ( b )
S h i p s on t h e i r
a g a i n on the
way t o
move.
( c )
The r a i l w a y s re-port t h a t when t h e y h a v e a s k e d
for m i l i t a r y a s s i s t a n c e for -clearing stoppages,
a t v i t a l p o i n t s t h e y h a v e r e c e i v e d it-,
( d ) - T h e W o o d h e a d T u n n e l ,
have been s e r i o u s ,
soldiers,
( c )
the
Worth E a s t
Coast
are.
t h e b l o c k i n g of w h i c h m i g h t
i s b e i n g c l e a r e d by P o l i s h
Stops have been taken to obtain f u l l
information
r e g a r d i n g the l o c a t i o n of collieries, blocked
by snow or where m i n e r s are u n a b l e , on a c c o u n t
of the. snow, t o get t o work.
When t h e s e h a v e
L-cen l o c a t e d i t i s my i n t e n t i o n t o s e e k a s s i s t a n c e
from, t h e S e r v i c e D e p a r t m e n t s w i t h a v i e w , t o
providing access to the c o l l i e r i e s
concerned.
3.
T h e C e n t r a l E l e c t r i c i t y B o a r d r e p o r t e d t o me t h i s
afternoon
t h a t i f , owing t o w e a t h e r c o n d i t i o n s , c o a l was not moving from
the p r o d u c i n g a r e a s , i t must be e x p e c t e d t h a t b y t h e week end
power s t a t i o n s i n London and i n S o u t h E a s t e r n and N o r t h Western
E n g l a n d and. t h e M i d l a n d s w o u l d , h a v e t o c l o s e d o w n i f n o s p e c i a l
a c t i o n was t a k e n .
The a c t i o n w h i c h t h e y s u g g e s t e d w a s : ­
( 1 )
t h a t a l l s u p p l i e s of e l e c t r i c i t y s h o u l d b e c u t
off from i n d u s t r i a l consumers i n t h e four
areas
i n d i c a t e d above, s u b j e c t to an e x c e p t i o n b e i n g
made i n f a v o u r of v i t a l s e r v i c e s , s u c h a s w a t e r ,
sewage, food p r o c e s s i n g (bakeries,, milk s h e r i l l ­
satiori)
e t c
( 2 )
t h a t , i n t h e same a r e a s , s u p p l i e s of - e l e c t r i c i t y
should, be cut off from d o m e s t i c consumers. from
9 a . m. t o 1.2 n o o n a n d f r o m 2 p . m. t o h p . m. a n d
t h a t s i m i l a r cuts should be applied to
theatres
and cinemas,.
h.
I recognise t h a t the present -position i s d i f f i c u l t ,
but
I c o n s i d e r i t would be wrong to a p p l y the d r a s t i c m e a s u r e s
s u g g e s t e d b y t h e C e n t r a l E l e c t r i c i t y B o a r d u n t i l we s e e w h e t h e r
t h e a c t i o n new b e i n g t a k e n i s s u f f i c i e n t t o r e n d e r t h o s e , m e a s u r e s ­
unnecessary.
I m y s e l f hope t h a t i t may b e p o s s i b l e t o a v o i d
t a k i n g s u c h m e a s u r e s b u t I t h i n k t h a t wo s h o u l d k e e p t h e q u e s t i o n
und.er d a i l y r e v i e w . .
--
E.
M i n i s t r y of F u e l and Power
7 , Mi i l b a n k , S. W. 1.
5TH FEBRUARY,
1947­
S,