8. Mr. DUNDAS WHITEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether, in the statistics of the output of mines and quarries in the United Kingdom during the year 1907, set out on page 21 of the final Report of the Census of Production, Cd. 6320, the net output is arrived at in each case by deducting from the selling value of the gross output the cost of obtaining it; whether the cost 453 thus deducted includes mining royalties and wayleaves; and whether information is available as to the gross and net output of these mines and quarries during any later year?
§ Mr. WARDLEMy hon. Friend will find the answer to the first part of his question at page 38 of the Report to which he refers, where it is stated that the term "net output" is applied in the Report to the result of deducting from the value of the gross output the total cost of materials. It is further stated on the same page that royalties and other similar charges have to be defrayed out of net output as thus defined. I regret that the greater urgency of work connected with the War rendered it necessary in the autumn of 1914 to stop the work upon the Census of Production Returns for 1912, and that it has not been found possible to resume the examination and classification of the information secured. The information for any later year than 1907 is, in consequence, not available.