§ 5. Mr. FENBYasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he will state, in the form already given for other industries, the proportions of rating relief to coal mining and to the rest of the mining industry which will go to firms making a large proportion of the profits and to firms making the remainder of the profits or actual losses; and whether he will likewise state what are the proportions of the profits concerned?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI regret that the information is not available.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERI am afraid that I cannot give the information. I have consulted the Inland Revenue, and, while it is possible to give detailed information with regard to certain industries, it is not possible—we have not in any Department of the Government the information—to give these particulars for the coal industry.
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERYes, it is impossible for any Government Department to apportion as between firms on a basis of relative profits the amount of relief they will receive.
§ Mr. W. THORNEIs it not a fact that between now and next Session, when the Government bring in their new Bill, you will be compelled to find out?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo, I think not. I think it will be obviously quite impossible to say, for every single firm, out of thousands of manufacturing firms, what actual relief they are going to get in relation to profits which they may make. As regards the general position, I have already given, as the hon. Gentleman knows, in answer to other questions, a figure which covers directly and indirectly the aggregate of relief which the coal industry will receive.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSIs the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the Secretary for Mines can week by week obtain the number of collieries which are making profits and those which are making losses, and would not they help the right, hon. Gentleman?
§ Sir P. CUNLIFFE-LISTERNo. They would not, because they would not enable us to find out exactly what rates are paid on each of the collieries in the country.