8. Sir F. HALLasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that claims have been made against the Controller of Coal Mines for sum due from him under his guarantee contained in the agreement scheduled to the Coal Mines Control Agreement (Confirmation) Act, 1918, and that such claims have not been met; whether, in view of the assurances which were made in Parliament by the Government on the passing of the Act that the Controller would act reasonably in dealing with applications for payments to the coalowners on account of moneys due to them under the guarantee, he will direct the Controller of Coal Mines to make such payments accordingly; and whether the Controller of Coal Mines has any moneys in hand out of which to make such payments?
Sir A. STANLEYPayments of claims under the Coal Mines Agreement have been dealt with as promptly as possible, though delays have occurred in certain cases owing to the failure of the claimants to furnish requisite information. In cases of urgency in which are immediate settlement is not possible payments on account have been made.
9. Sir F. HALLasked the President of the Board of Trade if any figures are now available showing what saving, if any, has been effected in the train mileage on the English railways by the Controller of Coal Mines' scheme for redistribution of output; what proportion of such saving is due to the reduction of output in the English area; and what proportion, if any, to the Controller's scheme?
Sir A. STANLEYI indicated in the answer given to the hon. and gallant Member on 3rd December that estimates had been prepared by certain railway companies of the saving actually effected, and these tended to confirm the original estimated saving for the country as a whole. Owing to the enormous amount of work involved and the necessity for economy in clerical work, some of the railways have not found it practicable to compile precise details as to the effect of 1839 the scheme, but are satisfied as to the help which the scheme has afforded in the present difficult state of railway transport. The estimated saving in train mileage in connection with the scheme did not include any saving which might be due to reduced output. If the hon. and gallant Gentleman would care to do so, the Controller of Coal Mines will be delighted to go into the figures with him in greater detail than it is possible to do by way of question and answer.