72. Captain TUDOR-REESasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether any estimate has been made of the annual cost of the proposed Ministry of Mines; and, if so, what is the amount of it?
The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the BOARD of TRADE (Mr. Bridge-man)I have been asked to reply. It is not possible, until the Ministry of Mines Bill becomes law, to prepare any detailed estimates of the cost of the Ministry of Mines. A provisional estimate places the cost of the new Department, including the staff taken over from other Departments, at about £250,000 per annum. Except for a very small proportion of the amount, this represents the cost of existing organisations which will be transferred to the Ministry. Incidentally, I may mention that the sum stated represents less than half the 641 amount included in the Civil Service Estimates for 1920–21 for the Coal Mines Department alone.
Captain TUDOR-REESIs any portion of that huge sum to come out of the industry itself, or is the taxpayer to pay the lot?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANIt includes what will appear on the Estimates. It does not include the charge on the industry.