30. Mr. SMITHalso asked the Secretary for Mines the number of pits which have been opened and reopened in the last five years, the number which have been closed down, the number of workers now occupied in the new pits, and the number dismissed from the pits closed down; and, of the persons employed in the new pits, what number were previously working in occupations other than mining?
§ Colonel LANE-FOXAggregate figures for the last five years could hardly fail to be misleading and would be most laborious to extract. Since the beginning of June, 1924, which may be taken as the starting point of the present depression, 508 coal mines, normally employing 110,483 wags-earners, have been closed and not reopened, and 96, at present employing 8,522 wage-earners, have been opened or reopened. I cannot say how many of the latter were previously working in other occupations.