asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if he will carry out an investigation to establish the reason coal prices have not recently dropped correspondingly with the considerably weakening dollar considering the fact that a series of increases in price in the recent past were attributed to the strengthening of the dollar.
Written Answers. - Reduction of Coal Prices.
34.
Over the past year coal prices have been kept under review by the National Prices Commission. Coal prices were reduced in most areas of the country in May 1985 by amounts ranging between £7 and £10.65 per tonne. The effect on coal prices of the recent improvement in exchange rates has been largely offset by increases in the dollar and sterling cost of imported coal together with increases in importers own internal costs.