§ 5. Mr. Tom Brownasked the Minister of Fuel and Power the members of the Central Council under the Central Coal Mines Schemes, 1930; how are they appointed and what are their functions; and whether the Central Council have any control over the application of the Mining Industry Essential Work Order, with particular reference to the payment of the guaranteed wage to mineworkers?
Major Lloyd GeorgeThere are 47 members of the Central Council appointed by the Executive Boards of Coalmining Districts in proportion to the outputs of the various districts. The Central Council is representative of the owners of coal mines, and is appointed under the terms of the Central Scheme for regulating the production, supply and sale of coal by owners of coal mines situated in Great Britain; the Central Scheme was made by the industry and approved by the Board of Trade, under Section 1 of the Coal Mines Act, 1930, and the functions of the Central Council are laid down in Section 2 of the same Act. Coalowners individually are 168 required to pay guaranteed wages becoming due to mineworkers under the terms of the Essential Work (Coalmining Industry) Order. The Central Council have no control over the conditions under which such payments are made, nor the application of the Order.