Why a return to coal failed the manpower test

Was a 1930s proposal to return the Royal Navy to coal seriously considered?

Some politicians supported it, but the extra crews required for coal made oil firing the practical choice.

Some interwar politicians favoured returning Royal Navy ships to domestic coal, but naval officers immediately raised the manpower cost. Coaling and operating coal-fired ships required far larger crews than oil-fired machinery. A government seeking economy was unwilling to fund those additional sailors. The short exchange shows why propulsion choices cannot be assessed by fuel price or national supply alone.