§ 36. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Secretary for Mines if he can give an estimate of the number of mine workers who are likely to be thrown out of employment as a result of the application of The Coal Mines Act, 1926, under which 66 per cent. of the men have returned to work on an eight-hours day?
§ Colonel LANE FOXNo, Sir. The amount of employment will depend mainly upon the demand for coal, which I cannot attempt to prophesy.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSDoes the right hon. Gentleman now reject the recommendation of the Royal Commission and the reference they made to possible unemployment as a result of the application of the Eight Hours Act?
§ Colonel LANE FOXNo, Sir, I do not reject any opinion of the Royal Commission on that point; it depends on the circumstances as they arise.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIs the right hon. Gentleman willing to admit that there will be a large Volume of unemployment as a result of the men working an eight-hour day?
§ Colonel LANE FOXWhat I am prepared to admit is that the men who have gone back to work are getting very much better wages than they would have got if they had continued to work a seven-hour day.
§ Mr. H. WILLIAMSIs it not the case that the Royal Commission's estimate as to the effect on unemployment was based on the assumption that no more coal would be sold.
§ Colonel LANE FOXYes, Sir; that is so.