HC Deb 15 March 1927 vol 203 cc1826-7
31. Mr. WHITELEY

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he will prepare a statement showing the hours worked in the various mining districts prior to the stoppage and the hours now in operation; and whether he will state the times of descending and ascending for the same periods?

The SECRETARY for MINES (Colonel Lane Fox)

Before the stoppage of last May the full ordinary underground shift was seven hours not including winding-time. The only exceptions were the hewing shifts in Northumber land and Durham which were generally rather shorter. At the present time the corresponding figure is eight, except in Yorkshire, Kent, and Notts and Derby, and in Northumberland and Durham for hewers, where it is 7½. The winding times vary pit by pit, and shift by shift. The latest information that I have relating to the average winding time in each district will be found on page 269 of the Royal Commission's Report.

34. Mr. GEORGE HALL

asked the Secretary for Mines the average time spent below ground each working day by the miners in the coalfields of this country where the full eight hours have been enforced by the employers?

Colonel LANE FOX

Approximately eight and a half hours, with a shorter period on Saturdays, in many districts.

Mr. HALL

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that in some of the larger collieries in South Wales nine and a half hours elapse from the time the first man goes down to the time the last man comes up?

Colonel LANE FOX

The hon. Member asked for the average, and I have given it.

NUMBER or Wage-earners employed above and below ground at Coal Mines in Great Britain during the weeks ended 27th February, 1926, and 26th February, 1927, and the number of Coal Miners insured under the Unemployment Insurance Acts recorded as Unemployed at 22nd February, 1926, and 21st February, 1927, respectively, the nearest dates for which information is available.

Area. Number of Wage-earners employed during the week ended Number of persons unemployed at 22nd February, 1926. Number of Persons unemployed at 21st February, 1927.
27th Feb., 1926. 26th Feb., 1927. Wholly unemployed. Temporary Stoppages Total. Wholly unemployed. Temporary Stoppages. Total.
England and Wales.
Northumberland 57,227 54,028 5,321 232 5,553 6,652 330 6,982
Durham 156,111 131,278 29,545 700 30,245 36,012 7,634 43,646
Cumberland and Westmorland. 11,416 11,417 1,193 525 1,718 732 126 858
Yorkshire 188,899 183,613 4,436 320 4,756 6,556 26,333 32,889
Lancashire and Cheshire. 97,562 90,562 6,083 6,268 12,351 7,626 3,127 10,753
Derbyshire 63,571 60,699 641 45 686 1,810 1,314 3,124
Notts and Leicester 68,313 68,253 736 893 1,629 1,249 4,671 5,920
Warwick 20,026 19,151 179 4 183 418 4 422
Staffs., Worcester and Salop. 71,302 67,668 4,218 995 5,213 3,817 686 4,503
Gloucester and Somerset. 13,627 11,556 1,205 714 1,919 1,535 80 1,615
Kent 1,837 2,186 93 1 94 76 335 411
Wales and Monmouth. 230,368 201,438 30,336 7,140 37,476 47,685 17,459 65,144
Remainder of England. 301 40 341 393 11 404
England and Wales 980,279 901,849 84,287 17,877 102,164 114,561 62,110 176,671
Scotland 127,247 110,835 15,829 743 16,572 19,967 1,101 21,068
Great Britain 1,107,526 1,012,684 100,116 18,620 118,736 134,528 63,211 197,739

It should be noted that the number of insured persons recorded as unemployed for any particular date includes some persons partially employed, who are also included in the number on the books of the colliery companies for the corresponding date: the latter number also includes some persons (e.g., persons under 16 years