§ 18. Lieut.-Colonel HENEAGEasked the Secretary for Mines the total tonnage of coal exported from Immingham each month from August, 1927; if he is watching the effect of the five-counties scheme on unemployment in this port; and if he has any statement to make as to the working of this scheme?
§ The SECRETARY for MINES (Commodore Douglas King)As the reply includes a, table of figures, I will, with the permission of my hon. and gallant Friend, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Lieut.-Colonel HENEAGECan the hon. and gallant Member give us the answer to the second part of the question?
§ Commodore KINGThe scheme has not been in operation long enough for me to form an opinion.
§ Lieut.-Colonel HENEAGEIs the hon. and gallant Member aware that only 20 per cent. of the men working at the coal at Immingham are in regular employment?
§ Commodore KINGYes, but I think that is due to the state of the markets and not to the marketing scheme.
§ Mr. BATEYIs the hon. and gallant Member making any inquiries as to whether the five counties scheme is a good scheme, or not?
§ Commodore KINGI am keeping in close touch, but it has not been in operation long enough for me to form an opinion.
§ Mr. BATEYIs the hon. and gallant Member aware that a Northumberland paper says that Northumberland has 1670 more to fear from this five county scheme than from the competition of Germany?
§ Mr. PALINGIs the hon. and gallant Member aware that it is stated that in the past month there was a definite number of tons short. Can he say whether that matter has been attended to and whether there has been any shortage since?
§ Commodore KINGI think the hon. Member is referring to last month, but the scheme had then only been in operation for three weeks of that month.
§ Following is the reply:
§ The monthly coal exports from Immingham since August, 1927, were as follow:—
| 1927: | ||||
| Month. | Tons. | |||
| August | … | … | … | 61,474 |
| September | … | … | … | 49,419 |
| October | … | … | … | 55,516 |
| November | … | … | … | 48,839 |
| December | … | … | … | 80,901 |
| 1928: | ||||
| January | … | … | … | 39,276 |
| February | … | … | … | 51,998 |
| March | … | … | … | 54,649 |
| April | … | … | … | 56,452 |
§ The scheme has not been in operation long enough to enable me to make any statement on its working or to judge its effect on employment in the port.
§ 20. Mr. PALINGasked the Secretary for Mines at what figure the quota percentage to basic tonnage has been fixed in the Midland Counties Coal Marketing Scheme; and what is the penalty for raising coal in excess of the quota and the amount of tonnage levy on all coal raised?
§ Commodore KINGI understand that the quota percentage for April was 65 and for May is 67½ that the penalty for exceeding the quota in any month by more than I per cent, is a fine of 3s. per ton; and that the levy is 3d. per ton.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSAre the Government taking any steps to remunerate the men who are compulsorily unemployed for 33 per cent. of their time?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThat does not arise out of the question.
§ 26. Mr. PALINGasked the Secretary for Mines whether he has considered the various coal marketing schemes recently adopted by coalowners, most of which embody proposals for restriction of output; and whether, in view of the large amount of unemployment and underemployment consequent upon the adoption of such proposals, he intends taking any action in the matter?
§ Commodore KINGI have considered the schemes referred to. As I stated on 16th instant in reply to the hon. Member for Linlithgow, I cannot accept the statement that these schemes have caused unemployment. The last part of the question does not therefore arise.
§ Mr. PALINGIs the hon. and gallant Member aware that in the Doncaster district alone the number of unemployed people is larger than ever it has been in the history of the coalfield, and that since this scheme came into operation under-employment has been more rife than ever before?
§ Commodore KINGYes, but the unemployment is due to the fact that there is not the demand for the coal.
§ Mr. PALINGIs the hon. and gallant Member aware that in the first month of the scheme the coal was 30,000 tons short?
§ Commodore KINGI realise that there was a shortage, and I answered a question on that point some weeks ago.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYIs the hon. and gallant Member aware that, apart from the miners unemployed, there is also unemployment amongst the stevedores and the coal trimmers in the various ports?
Sir F. HALLIs the hon. and gallant Member aware that it is because we have lost a lot of our export trade, owing to strikes?