§ 3. Mr. GODFREY NICHOLSONasked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that the Northumberland and Durham miners' permanent relief fund has been compelled to cease the payment of pensions to aged miners owing to the depressed state of the industry; and whether he will take such steps as are necessary to enable the Miners' Welfare Fund to make grants to this and similar funds?
§ Mr. E. BROWNThe answer to the first part of the question is, Yes. With regard to the second part, the Miners' Welfare Committee has been advised that such an object is not within the scope of the fund as at present constituted. Amending legislation would, therefore, be required to make grants for such a purpose permissible. My hon. Friend is no doubt aware that the recent Departmental Committee of Inquiry into the Miners' Welfare Fund advised against the extension of the scope of the fund in this direction, both as a matter of principle and also on actuarial grounds, even if the output levy were to continue at the penny rate. As I announced last April, it has been decided to introduce a Bill at an early opportunity to reduce the amount of the levy to one halfpenny, and in those circumstances I cannot see any possibility of extending the scope of the fund to pension schemes.
§ Mr. NICHOLSONCannot the hon. Gentleman hold out any hope for these aged miners?
§ Mr. BROWNI am aware of the difficulty. My hon. Friend will understand that the representative of the Miners' Federation on the Departmental Committee, while advising an extension of 2385 the principle in a minority report, specifically advised against it in the event of the levy being reduced.
§ Mr. NICHOLSONCan the hon. Member suggest any way in which these miners could be helped?
§ Mr. GORDON MACDONALDDid not the minority report also recommend the continuance of the ld., and is this not an argument for continuing the levy at ld.?