81. Major Lloydasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he has considered a Report from the Scottish Regional Fuel 2079 Controller that, in spite of every effort by managers and trade union leaders in co-operation, the output per man in many of the Scottish mines has fallen substantially in recent weeks owing to lack of effort on the part of a minority of the men; whether he is aware that this Report has caused great concern to fuel consumers in Scotland; and what action he proposes to take in connection with the findings of the Report?
§ 82. Mr. Gallacherasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he has considered the Report of the Scottish Coal Controller; and what steps does he propose to take to repair the harm done by the biased nature of this Report?
§ The Minister of Fuel and Power (Major Lloyd George)I have considered the statement by my Regional Controller in Scotland, which was issued with my full agreement. I cannot agree that it is biased, nor am I aware that its veracity has been challenged in any way. It reveals a position which naturally causes concern to consumers in Scotland; it analyses the causes in an impartial manner and by no means confines the responsibility to one side of the industry. I may add that I have agreed to meet representatives of the Scottish Mineworkers' Union at their request this evening to discuss the statement.
Major LloydIs my right hon. and gallant Friend aware that there is very real resentment among a large majority of the miners themselves at the manner in which the minority of recalcitrants are letting them and the country down in this matter?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI am well aware of that. It has been expressed to me personally on occasions and expressed to me in this House.
§ Mr. GallacherIs the Minister aware that this Report has caused very great discontent amongst miners in Scotland and that there is a feeling among them that the Report has been drawn up in consultation with the mineowners, and will the Minister invite Lord Traprain to resign his position?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeWith regard to the last part of the question, I will certainly do nothing of the kind. I said in my answer that this statement was issued with my full approval. I have read the state- 2080 ment through on several occasions, and I repeat what I said in my original answer, that it is an unbiased Report in its full condition. I am not responsible for extracts taken by certain newspapers out of parts of it. If the Report is taken, as a whole, I repeat that it is an unbiased statement.
§ Mr. GallacherIs there one mention in the Report of any steps being taken to reorganise the mines since the issue of the White Paper?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeIt is a purpose of the organisation set up under the White Paper to do that, and there is a reference in this very Report to the duty of the organisation.
§ Mr. BuchananIs the Minister aware that this Report throws the whole blame on certain miners and makes no attempt to examine the reorganisation of the industry, and will he take steps to see that before charges are made against miners they are made specifically and directly and not made in vague, general terms?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI am afraid I cannot accept that statement. I do not know whether the hon. Member has read the Report in full—
§ Mr. BuchananI have.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeAnd so have I—
§ Mr. BuchananAs far as I could get—
§ Major Lloyd George—and I beg him to believe that it is not correct to say that the whole blame is placed on one section. There is a direct reference, and rightly so, in terms, which states that he is by no means satisfied with the efficiency of the mining industry in Scotland, and it is part of the duty of the organisation to put it right.
§ Mr. MaxtonDoes the Minister know whether Lord Traprain issued this Report without consultation with the miners' leaders who were associated with him in his work in Scotland and have given him most loyal support, or whether he acted upon his own initiative?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThat I could not say, but, in his Report, he acknowledges very early on the very courageous help he has received from the miners' leaders in 2081 Scotland, and what he has said in the Report has been repeated by practically every miners' leader in the country.
§ Mr. SloanAm I to understand from the Minister that this Report was submitted to him before it was published, as he said in his answer that it was issued with his full approval? Is he further aware that, in this Report, four instances are given of attempts by miners to retard production which bear no relation to the facts at all?
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeThat is a matter of opinion.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeIt is a matter of opinion. The hon. Member says that the Report does not give the facts, but that is a matter to be decided. Again I would ask him to read it as a whole. He could not have read it as a whole. I have seen reports myself which have left out the good things the miners have done and put in the bad things. Take this Report as a whole, and I repeat what I said in my first answer that it is an unbiased Report. It simply repeats what has been said all over the country by miners' leaders.
§ Mr. SloanThe Minister did not answer the first part of my Supplementary Question, which was whether the Report was examined by him before publication.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI am sorry. I forgot to do so. My Regional Controller consulted with me before the issue of this Report, and I was satisfied, by what he said to me, that he was going to put the case perfectly impartially.
§ Major Lloyd GeorgeI saw the draft of it, certainly. [HON. MEMBERS: "Oh."] I saw the draft of it, and what has been published is what I saw. I have seen it since, and everything I saw before was in the Report.
§ Mr. SloanIn view of the unsatisfactory nature of the answer given by the Minister, I beg to give notice that I will raise the matter on the Adjournment.