67. Mr. W. M. WATSONasked the Secretary for Mines the number of collieries operating in the counties of Fife and Clackmannan for the years 1913, 1924, 1925, 1926 and 1927, with the numbers employed each year for each county separately?
§ Commodore KINGAs the reply contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following are the figures:
§ ber in each county that have been suspended temporarily, and the number stated to be permanently abandoned?
§ Commodore KINGEleven pits in the county of Fife, employing 1,659 wage-earners, and one pit in the county of Clackmannan, employing 217 wage-earners, have ceased work since the 1st 1905 January. No pit has been notified as permanently abandoned. I will send the hon. Member a list of the closed pits, showing the numbers normally employed at each.
§ Mr. SHINWELLWhen the hon. and gallant Member states that no notification has been received of pits being permanently abandoned, is it not accurate to say that no notification is required to be made until some considerable time has elapsed?
§ Commodore KINGI think it is within two or three months. No immediate notification is necessary.