§ 77. Mr. W. THORNEasked the Secretary for Mines the amount of mining royalties paid in Great Britain and South Wales for the year ending 1928, and the number of persons receiving incomes from royalties and wayleaves; and if he will state how the Welsh mining roaylties compare per ton with those paid in other British coalfields?
§ The SECRETARY for MINES (Mr. Ben Turner)As the answer involves a number of figures, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it with the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. THORNEHave the Government had under consideration the question of buying out the royalty owners at all?
§ Mr. TURNERAll matters applicable to mines are under full consideration.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The estimated total amount of coal mining royalties for the year 1928 in Great Britain was about £5,500,000, including £1,400,000 for South Wales and Monmouth. The average cost of royalties per ton of coal disposable commercially in the various districts was:
| d. | |
| Scotland | 6.83 |
| Northumberland | 6.18 |
| Durham | 6.07 |
| South Wales and Monmouth | 8.37 |
| Yorkshire | 4.80 |
| North Derbyshire and Nottingham shire | 4.39 |
| South Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Cannock Chase and Warwickshire | 4.05 |
| Lancashire, Cheshire and North Staffordshire | 5.97 |
| Other Districts (Cumberland, North Wales, South Staffordshire, Shropshire, Bristol, Forest of Dean, Somerset and Kent) | 6.08 |
| Great Britain | 6.04 |
§ Information about the number of royalty owners was specially collected for the Royal Commission on the Coal Industry (1925), and from Table 18 of Appendix 18 of the Third Volume of their Report (page 237) it is estimated that there were about 7,000 owners of coal royalties and wayleaves in 1925. No later information is available.