23. Colonel CHAPMANasked the Secretary for Mines the total amount that has been paid into the Miners' Welfare Fund; how has it been expended, what is the present unexpended balance; and is the fund available for building houses for aged miners?
§ The SECRETARY for MINES (Mr. Ernest Brown)As the reply is rather long and includes a number of figures, I propose with my hon. and gallant Friend's permission to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the reply:
§ The total amount paid into the fund up to 23rd May, 1933, was £13,463,709, made up as follows:
| £ | |
| Output Welfare Levy | 10,994,841 |
| Royalties Welfare Levy | 1,355,000 |
| Interest | 1,113,868 |
| £13,463,709 |
§ These payments have been credited as follows:
| £ | |
| District Fund | 9,099,779 |
| General Fund | 1,885,847 |
| Baths Fund | 2,478,083 |
| £13,463,709 |
§ The amount paid out of the fund to the same date was £11,214,227, on the following purposes:
| £ | |
| Recreation | 4,430,171 |
| Health | 3,031,896 |
| Education | 783,323 |
| Research | 756,344 |
| Pithead Baths | 1,900,291 |
| Canteens (Pithead Baths) and Pit Welfare | 41,364 |
| Administrative Expenses | 270,838 |
| £11,214,227 |
§ The unexpended balance at that date amounted to £2,249,482, but of that amount £1,404,762 had been alocated for schemes for Pithead Baths and other purposes which had been contracted for or had reached a definite stage of development and a large part of the remainder of £844,720 had been earmarked for specific purposes by either the Central Committee or the District Committees.
§ As regards the concluding part of the question, £25,000 has been allocated from the fund for the purpose of building houses for aged miners, but the Comp-. troller and Auditor-General has raised the question whether such allocations are permissible under the Act. The Chelmsford Committee of Inquiry considered that such allocations should be allowed and have recommended that in any further legislation relative to the fund this should be made clear.