§ 30. Mr. TINKERasked the Home Secretary the total amount of compensation paid for industrial diseases in the 572 mining industry for 1929; and will he say what percentage of this was paid for the disease known as miners' nystagmus?
§ Mr. CLYNESAs shown in Table 1 of the Workmen's Compensation Statistics for 1929, the total compensation paid in that year for industrial diseases in the mining industry was £489,036. I regret that the form of the returns made to the Home Office does not enable me to give separately the amount paid for any particular disease, but I may point out that cases of miners' nystagmus accounted for over 52 per cent. of the total number of cases of industrial disease in the industry.
§ 31. Mr. TINKERasked the Home Secretary what is the cost per £1 of wages paid in compensation in the mining industry for the years 1928 and 1929; and what is the cost per person employed for the same two years?
§ Mr. CLYNESAs the answer is long, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ It is estimated that the cost of workmen's compensation payments in the coal mining industry per £1 wages was in 1928, 6.5d. and in 1929, 6.8d. These figures do not include the metalliferous mines, for which the necessary data are not available, but it is not thought that the inclusion of these mines would make any material difference. The returns furnished to the Home Office under the Workmen's Compensation Act show that the cost per person employed in the mining industry, including the metalliferous mines, was in 1928, £3 4s. 1d., and in 1929, £3 5s. 6d.