§ 73 and 74. Mr. Keelingasked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) whether the output of saleable coal per man-shift worked during the year ended 30th June, 1942, was 21.28 cwts., as stated by him in answer to a Question on 26th October, 1943, or 20.95 cwts., as would appear from his answer to a Question on 11th November, 1943;
(2) whether the average output of coal per man-shift worked at the coalface in the month of August, 1942, was 2.81 tons, as stated by him in answer to a Question on 29th September, 1942, or 2.68 tons, as stated in answer to a Question on 9th November, 1943?
Major Lloyd GeorgeAs the answer is long and involves a number of figures, I will, with my hon. Friend's consent, circulate this answer in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ The answer is as follows:
§ The figure of 21.28 cwts. quoted in my answer to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for North Edinburgh (Mr. Erskine-Hill) on 26th October was given in response to a request for a figure comparing with the pre-war published figure of 22.96 cwts. for 1938. My hon. Friend will be aware that prior to the establishment of my Ministry the only available monthly and quarterly figures of absenteeism and output per shift were those collected by the industry in connection with the district wages ascertainments. These were incomplete and did not, in my view, present a true picture. Comprehensive and accurate returns have been collected by my Ministry, and comparable figures for earlier periods have been calculated. These give a figure for the year ended 30th June, 1942, of 20.98 cwts., which corresponds with the figure I gave in reply to a Question by my hon. Friend the Member for Brixton (Mr. Colman) on 11th November. This is not, however, strictly comparable with the published figure for 1938, collected by the industry, and, as I have said, it was a figure thus comparable for which I was asked on the earlier occasion. Similarly, the figure for the average output of coal per man-shift worked at the coalface in August, 1942, was first given on the basis of the defective statistics collected - by the industry. I supplied the correct figure, however, which became available later, on 9th November, 1943, namely, 2.68 tons.
§ 75. Mr. Keelingasked the Minister of Fuel and Power the reduction in the output of saleable coal as between the year ended 30th June, 1942, and that ended 30th June, 1943, respectively; and how much of this reduction is attributable to the smaller number of coalface shifts worked and how much to the reduction in output per man-shift?
Major Lloyd GeorgeThe output of saleable coal in the year ended 30th June, 1943, was some 3,850,000 tons below the figure for the previous year. By far the larger proportion is attributable to a reduction in output per man-shift at the coalface.
§ Mr. BowlesIs my right hon. and gallant Friend aware that a large number of man-shifts is not allowed to be worked because the railway companies do not provide the wagons to take the coal?
Major Lloyd GeorgeThat has nothing to do with this Question, which is about the output per man-shift.
§ Mr. BowlesPer man-shift worked.