§ 80. Mr. D. Grenfellasked the Minister of Fuel and Power the quantity of coal mined and raised and the tonnage disposals for each of the half-yearly periods from 1st May to 1st November and from 1st November to 1st May, from May, 1939, to 1st November, 1944; with separate figures showing output and disposals from opencast workings from November, 1941, to 1st November, 1944; and the total sum expended in opencast prospecting and mining during the same period.
§ Mr. T. SmithAs the answer to the Question contains a statement of figures, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. With regard to opencast workings, I am informed by my Noble Friend, the Minister of Works, that the output over the period November, 1941, to November, 1944, was 13,360,000 tons. Disposals amount to approximately 10,500,000 tons. The total expenditure on opencast operations over the same period was £25,000,000. This covers prospecting, including the proving of considerable coal resources not yet won, excavation, royalties, compensation, operation of screening and trading plants, stocking and transport; and capital expenditure on screening plants and railway loading services.
§ Mr. GrenfellDoes the answer mean that this covers all expenses for these purposes?
§ Mr. A. HopkinsonDoes it also include the very large salaries paid by the Ministry of Works to people who supervise, amounting, roughly, to £250,000?
§ Following is the answer:
1267| — | May, 1939 to October, 1939 (incl.). | November, 1939 to April, 1940 (incl.). | May, 1940 to October, 1940 (incl.). | November, 1940 to April, 1941 (incl.). | May, 1941 to October 1941 (incl.). | November, 1941 to April 1942 (incl.). | May, 1942 to October, 1942 (incl.). | November, 1942 to April 1943 (incl.). | May, 1943 to October 1943 (incl.). | November, 1943 to April, 1944 (incl.). | May, 1944 to October 1944 (incl.). * |
| Mined Coal | Million Tons. | ||||||||||
| Production | 113.8 | 116.0 | 114.3 | 99.7 | 104.9 | 101.9 | 101.7 | 100.7 | 96.0 | 93.6 (provisional) | 93.2 |
| Withdrawal from (+) or addition to (-) colliery stocks. | Not available | -0.5 | +0.5 | -0.1 | +0.5 | +0.1 | +0.1 | +0.1 | — | +0.2 | — |
| Available for disposal | 113.8 | 115.5 | 114.8 | 99.6 | 105.4 | 102.0 | 101.8 | 100.8 | 96.0 | 93.8 | 93.2 |
| Less—Colliery Consumption | 5.9 | 6.3 | 6.1 | 6.1 | 6.0 | 6.2 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.4 |
| Miners Coal | 2.1 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.5 | 2.1 |
| Commercial disposals | 105.8 | 106.6 | 106.5 | 91.0 | 97.2 | 93.3 | 93.7 | 92.4 | 88.3 | 85.6 (provisional) | 85.7 |