§ 36. Sir H. BRITTAINasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can give the House any information as to the disturbance and loss in the other industries of the country which have been caused by the coal stoppage?
§ Mr. A. M. SAMUELThe figures of unemployment in various industries, published monthly in the Ministry of Labour Gazette, furnish some indication of the effect on other industries of the stoppage of coal mining. It is not possible, on the information at present available, to give any precise estimate of the aggregate loss to the country as a whole; but the loss in production through unemployment may be estimated as not less than £100,000,000. If the unavoidable reduction in the activity of those recorded as employed is taken into account, the total loss in the period since 30th April may reach £150,000,000, or even a larger sum. These figures include the losses suffered by the coal mining industry (which may be estimated at about £40,000,000) and those caused by the general strike.
§ Sir H. BRITTAINMay I ask the hon. Member—I know he has given considerable study to this question—how his figures coincide with those of the right hon. Member for West Swansea (Mr. Runciman)?
§ Mr. SAMUELI have made an examination of the figures of the right hon. Member for West Swansea. I say—subject to correction—that I think he has reckoned some things twice over, and left out certain things. I think he has put the figures in some cases too high, and in some cases too low. The general result of the right hon. Gentleman's figures, £160,000,000, comes out within £10,000,000 of the figure which I have given in my answer.