§ 10. Mr. TINKERasked the Secretary for Mines if he will have an inquiry made into the overtime worked at coal mines, in view of the increase of this practice during recent years through the greater use of machinery, coal cutters and conveyors, and of the fact that employment for more men would be provided by the regulation of this practice?
§ Mr. E. BROWNI am not quite clear what form of inquiry the hon. Member has in mind. All cases of overtime found by the Inspectors of Mines, or brought to their notice, are investigated, and if the overtime is found to be worked improperly the necessary steps are taken. If the hon. Member will give me particulars of any such cases I will see that they are inquired into.
§ Mr. TINKERIs the Minister aware that last week he gave an answer to a question showing that in four mines in Nottinghamshire the average overtime worked was 3 per cent., and, if that is the average over the whole of the country, there are 24,000 more men who could be employed if the overtime was eliminated? It is on those lines that I want the hon. Gentleman to inquire.
§ Mr. E. BROWNAverages are most misleading things to take. The overtime which is legitimate is emergency overtime. That is the only overtime that is permissible under the law, and if it were barred, so far from increasing employment, it might conceivably interfere with the regular employment of men on ordinary shifts.
§ Mr. TINKERI have asked the Minister to make inquiries to see what ground there is for my assertions.
§ Mr. E. BROWNIf the hon. Member has any particular cases to bring to my notice, I shall be glad to have them 164 looked into. He will understand that there was a great deal of talk about this matter three years ago in Yorkshire, and there was an inquiry, and the result did not support the assertions that were made before the inquiry.
§ Mr. MAXTONIn the event of my bringing a specific case from Scotland, will the Minister prevent the men who report that case from being victimised by their employers?
§ Mr. E. BROWNThe hon. Member knows that if cases are found where overtime is being worked illegally—the conditions are laid down in rules made under the Act of 1908—then the inspectors of my Department take instant action.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSAn answer from the Minister's Department on Tuesday showed that at one colliery in Nottinghamshire 1,400 hours overtime were worked in one month. Will he make inquiries into that?
§ Mr. E. BROWNCertainly.
§ Mr. C. BROWNIs the Minister aware that under the regulations men are down a colliery from seven in the morning to eight and nine o'clock at night regularly, and does he not think that there is need for review in such cases 7
§ Mr. E. BROWNIf that is so, I am surprised that the hon. Member has not called my attention to it.
§ 15. Mr. BATEYasked the Secretary for Mines the number of hours overtime worked in or about the coal mines of the county of Durham for the month of January or the latest available month?
§ Mr. E. BROWNI am afraid that records of the kind the hon. Member desires are not kept, as the time and expense involved would be out of all proportion to the usefulness of the information. If the hon. Member has any information as to alleged illegal working of overtime, and will give me particulars, I will have inquiries made?
§ Mr. BATEYIs it not the case that last week a representative of the Minister stated the number of hours of overtime worked in particular cases?
§ Mr. E. BROWNAn answer of that kind can always be given in the case of a particular pit, but the hon. Member in this question is asking, not in respect 165 of a particular pit, but in respect of the whole county area, and my answer is accurate. The records are not such as would enable me to give him an answer in the form which he desires.
§ Mr. E. BROWNI have already done the utmost I can. I have offered to look into any case or cases which hon. Members care to bring up.