§ Sir WILLIAM DAVISON(by Private Notice) asked the Prime Minister whether it is a fact that the wages paid in the mining industry have been increased by approximately £134,000,000 a year since 1914, and whether he will see that no additional increase of wages, which would further add to the existing high prices of commodities and the cost of living generally, is granted to the miners until the proposal has been approved by the House of Commons, especially having regard to the statements recently made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer that no money was available to relieve the undoubted hard- 851 ships at present being suffered by pensioners of the State, who had served before the War in the Army, the Navy, the Police or Civil Service, and whether he is aware that the present unfortunate position of these ex-servants of the State, as well as of all persons of fixed incomes, will be made worse by any further increase in the price of coal?
§ The PRIME MINISTER (Mr. Lloyd George)All the considerations referred to in the question are being fully weighed by the Government, but, as my hon. Friend knows, negotiations are now proceeding, and I would deprecate the raising of the subject at this stage by question and answer.