§ 69. Sir FRANK SANDERSONasked the Secretary for Mines if he will state the number of collieries showing a profit in each area and the total amount of such profit for the months of August, September, and October, and the amount of subvention paid to the collieries in each group showing a profit; and if he will state the tonnage of coal raised at such collieries and the percentage which this bears to the total tonnage output of the country for the same period?
§ Colonel LANE-FOXI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave on let December to the right hon. Member for Ogmore.
§ Sir F. SANDERSONIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that there is a number of collieries in this country which are consistently making, a profit of 2s. per ton, in addition to which they are receiving 252 a subsidy to the same amount, and will he take such steps as are necessary to prevent the anomaly continuing?
§ Colonel LANE-FOXThe hon. Member does not quite realise the position. The subsidy is paid according to the number of manshifts worked in each colliery. By the subsidy the wages are raised from the owners' scale to the higher scale asked by the men, irrespective of the profit or loss made by the colliery. If the subsidy were withheld from the more prosperous collieries you would be subsidising the inefficient to the disadvantage of the efficient collieries.
§ 71. Mr. BATEYasked the Secretary for Mines the amount paid as subsidy to the coal industry for the months of August, September. October and November?
§ Colonel LANE-FOXThe amount of subvention, in respect of the four months to 30th November, paid up to that date was £7,585,948. The estimated total liability for that period is about £8,700,000.
§ Mr. BATEYCan the hon. and gallant Gentleman say whether the figure in the White Paper represents actual expenditure or is an estimate—because it happens to be exactly the same amount as that given for October?
§ Colonel LANE-FOXIn answer to the first supplementary question, I may say that a large number of the figures in the White Paper, certainly those up to the end of October, are definite figures, but beyond that they are probably estimates.