§ 29. Mr. LUNNasked the Secretary for Mines how many coal mines have been totally closed since 1st November, 1924; at how many mines 50 or more persons, normally employed, have received notice to cease work since that date; and in how many cases mines are totally or partially under notice at the present time?
§ Colonel LANE-FOX361 coal mines, normally employing 71,700 wage-earners, have been closed since 1st November, 1924, and not reopened, while 122, at present employing 12,900 wage-earners, have been opened or re- 1284 opened. I regret that I have not the information asked for in the second and third parts of the question; but the total net reduction in numbers employed during the period is 67,100.
§ Mr. LUNNCan the hon. Member say whether his Department or the Government have any policy whatever for dealing with the serious position in the mining industry which is growing daily?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThere is a question to be asked later on that subject.
§ Mr. MARDY JONESWhy is it impossible for the Department to supply the information asked for in the question? It is quite simple.
§ Colonel LANE-FOXWe have not got it.
§ Colonel LANE-FOXI will try to get it.
§ 30. Mr. W. BAKERasked the Secretary for Mines whether, in view of the danger to the national mineral resources involved by the widespread closing down of collieries at the present time, and in view of the fact that certain of these collieries have shown profits at the last ascertainment, and that in many cases profits have been made on bye-products, he will institute a public inquiry into all the circumstances of the closing down with the object of formulating a Government policy which will stop the destruction of our mineral resources by the closing down of temporarily unprofitable pits?
§ Colonel LANE-FOXI do not know what evidence the hon. Member can have for his statement that collieries now closed showed profits at the last ascertainment. I cannot believe that any colliery owners would willingly face the heavy loss of closing down unless keeping open meant an even greater loss, and no inquiry could produce more convincing proof that a pit is unprofitable than the fact of its being closed. The only way in which the Government could keep open such a pit would be by a subsidy. That is not a course which the Government would be justified in asking the taxpayer to undertake.
Mr. RICHARDSONCan the hon. and gallant Member tell me how many of the proprietors have gone into bankruptcy?
§ Colonel LANE-FOXNot without notice.
§ Mr. BATEYDoes the hon. and gallant Member not think that a public inquiry ought to be made, in view of the fact that so many mines have been closed, according to the information given by the Mines Department recently?
§ Mr. MARDY JONESDoes the hon. and gallant Member not realise that although these mines in many cases may be closed because they are unprofitable for the moment, owing to the tendency of collieries which are closed becoming waterlogged and that the coal reserves themselves may be destroyed, it is in the national interest of the greatest importance that they should not be closed down, but kept in such a condition that they may be reopened at any time when trade improves?
§ Colonel LANE-FOXIt is obvious that such facts must be present to the minds of the owners, who have spent very large sums of money in sinking the mines and are, therefore, loath to lose them.
§ Mr. JONESIs the hon. and gallant Member aware that there is a very strong impression in mining circles among the miners that all these pits are not closed down because they are paying at the moment, but that it is part of the economic pressure that is being put upon the men?