§ 1. Mr. MANVILLEasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the supply of coal to industry and for domestic 2 use will be further reduced after the end of June; if so, can he state whether this reduction, which will so adversely affect the industry and prosperity of this country, is due to shorter hours of working in the coal mines, leading to smaller average production by the miners, or whether it is caused by smaller average production of the coal miners for reasons unconnected with the shortening of the hours of working?
§ The MINISTER of RECONSTRUCTION (Sir Auckland Geddes)I greatly fear that it will be necessary either to reduce the supply of coal to industry and for domestic use or to limit even more strictly than at present the amount allowed to be exported. It is not possible to give a more definite answer until we know the effect of the reduced hours of working upon output. In reply to the last part of the question I regret to have to say that the output of coal per person employed continues to show a decrease without any shortening of the hours of working.