§ 38. Mr. CONNOLLYasked the Secretary for Mines if he can inform the House as to the amount of profits earned by British coal-mining companies in each year from 1st January, 1915, to the last available date; and the paid-up capital in such companies in 1913 and at the last available date?
§ Sir H. BARNSTON (for Colonel LANE FOX)As the answer is necessarily long, my right hon. Friend will circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Sir H. BRITTAINAt the same time, is it not desirable that some record of the losses made should be circulated?
§ Following is the answer to the question on the paper:
§ The hon. Member will find all available information on this subject in Appendix 38 in the third volume of the Report of the Royal Commission. It is there stated to be impracticable to give separate figures of annual profits for the years 1914–21, but the average annual profit during those years is given as £2217 millions. In subsequent years the profits have been as follow:
| £ million. | |
| 1922 | 11.0 |
| 1923 | 27.5 |
| 1924 | 14.3 |
| 1925 (including subvention.) | 3.0 |
§ As regards paid-up capital, the conclusion arrived at is that it is "impracticable to arrive at figures representing capital embarked in the colliery industry which one could put forward with confidence as approximating closely to the truth."