§ 16. Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Secretary for Mines how many men without previous experience have secured employment down the coal mines of Yorkshire since the coalowners entered into an agreement not to employ any person for underground work who was over 18 years of age and who had no previous experience of underground work?
§ The PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY to the MINISTRY of LABOUR (Mr. Betterton)I have been asked to reply. I am having inquiries made and will inform the hon. Member of the results in due course.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSAre we to understand from the reply that they have no figures relating to the number of non-miners who descended the pits since the agreement was entered into?
§ Mr. BETTERTONThat is a matter I am inquiring into, and I can assure the hon. Member that we are just as anxious as he is to see that these agreements are carried out, and any information that he can give to me I shall naturally only be too glad to receive.
§ 17. Mr. WILLIAMSasked the Secretary for Mines if he is aware that two inexperienced men were recently em- 1668 ployed at the Hemsworth Colliery, West Yorkshire; that this is a violation of the coalowners' agreement not to employ inexperienced men for underground work who were over 18 years of age; and will he state what steps, if any, he is taking to see that the agreement is carried out?
§ Mr. BETTERTONI have been asked to reply. I have no evidence that ineligible persons have been engaged at the Hemsworth Colliery, but if the hon. Member will give me particulars of the cases he has in mind I will make further inquiries.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSAre we to understand from the hon. Gentleman's reply that the colliery companies are not in any way informing the Ministry of Labour or the Ministry of Mines as to when they break away from the agreement which they entered into, and, if that be the case, may I ask of what earthly use is this alleged agreement to the mining community?
§ Mr. BETTERTONNo, Sir; the hon. Gentleman's premises are wrong. The colliery companies are informing us, and we are kept informed. I am most anxious to make sure of the accuracy of the returns, and, on that matter, I invite the co-operation of the hon. Gentleman.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIf the colliery companies are supplying the necessary information, how is it that they have not supplied the hon. Gentleman with the knowledge that these two men at this particular colliery have been employed??
§ Mr. BETTERTONThat, again, is a point on which I am making further inquiries. We have received no information at present, I understand, from this colliery, such as the hon. Gentleman thinks we ought to have received, and I shall make inquiries on this very point.
§ Mr. PALINGHow are we to get information. We have either to get it from the men concerned or from the colliery company, and does that imply that the inspectors have no responsibility in the matter?
§ Mr. BETTERTONNo, Sir, the hon. Member must not assume that. We are getting information, and we are most anxious to do so. If the hon. Gentleman thinks that we are getting returns which 1669 are not accurate, I will at once inquire into any case and do my best to clear it up.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSIs the hon. Gentleman aware that this same colliery at this moment, although they have 1,200 men who have been unemployed for several months, are advertising in Lancashire for miners to go to Yorkshire?
§ Mr. BETTERTONNo, Sir, I am not aware of that fact.