§ 40. Mr. HERRIOTTSasked the Secretary for Mines whether he will make a statement with regard to the results of The recent negotiations at Geneva on the hours to be worked in the coal mines of Europe; and whether he will publish the reports as a White Paper?
§ Mr. SHINWELLThe International Labour Conference at Geneva adopted by 81 votes to two, with the employers' delegates abstaining from voting, a Convention limiting the daily hours of work in coal and lignite mines. The convention provides for a daily maximum of seven and three-quarters hours hank to bank, which is equivalent to seven and a-quarter hours under the British method 1054 of calculation, with special provisions in regard to lignite mining. The report of the British Government delegates to the Minister of Labour will be published as a White Paper in the usual way.
§ Mr. HERRIOTTSWill the hon. Gentleman see that this information is made public as speedily as possible, in view of the present negotiations?
§ Mr. SHINWELLI understand that the information is being made public.
§ 42. Sir NICHOLAS GRATTAN-DOYLEasked the Secretary for Mines whether he will now make a further statement as to the Government's proposals in relation to hours of labour in the coal-mining industry?
§ Mr. SHINWELLNegotiations are still proceeding.
§ Major BEAUMONT THOMASIs the hon. Gentleman aware that he has only a week left to complete negotiations which have been proceeding all these months?
§ Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEWould the hon. Gentleman kindly repeat his answer? I could not hear it.
§ Mr. SHINWELLI said that negotiations are still proceeding.
§ Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEWill the hon. Member state what is the position in regard to Scotland, where the mine-owners and the miners are in agreement?
§ Mr. SHINWELLThe position in Scotland is that it is subject to negotiations.