HC Deb 27 January 1949 vol 460 cc1105-7
54. Mr. Osborne

asked the Minister of Labour how many of the 600 miners from Yorkshire who have been dismissed in the past six months for persistent absenteeism have registered as unemployed; and for what period have they been receiving unemployment pay.

Mr. Isaacs

I regret that the information is not available and could not be secured without a disproportionate expenditure of time and labour.

Mr. Osborne

Could the Minister at some time give the House information as to how many men have been discharged in similar circumstances from all the coal fields in Great Britain; and in view of our great need for coal, does he not think it a pity that this should be happening?

Mr. Isaacs

The latter part of the hon. Member's supplementary question is a matter of opinion, and I shall not express any opinion on it. We could not get this information without a great deal of labour. The discharges are put under various headings, one of them being industrial misconduct. It would mean searching over all the cases of industrial misconduct to see which were due to absenteeism.

Mr. Carmichael

Could the Minister state the percentage of miners discharged for absenteeism compared with the number engaged in the coal fields, in view of the fact that this Question is undoubtedly asked to cast a reflection on the mining community?

Mr. Osborne

On a point of Order. May I ask that that remark be withdrawn? The hon. Member makes the imputation that I put down this Question with an unworthy motive, and says that it has no foundation in fact. Have I no redress against such a statement?

Mr. Speaker

I was not listening very carefully, but if the hon. Member for the Bridgeton Division of Glasgow (Mr. Carmichael) said that another hon. Member told an untruth—[HON. MEMBERS: "No."] I did not actually hear what was said.

Mr. Carmichael

All I asked was: Could the Minister state the percentage of miners dismissed for absenteeism compared with the total engaged in the coal fields? I felt from the Question—and it was indicated by the hon. Member's supplementary question—that the hon. Member was anxious to emphasise the amount of absenteeism in the coalfields rather than the amount of work which is being done by the men engaged in the coal mining industry.

Colonel J. R. H. Hutchison

Would the Minister say what is the Government policy in a problem of this kind, which will go on increasing the more industries are nationalised? What is the broad policy? Are these men intended to remain unemployed or are they to be offered alternative employment? Are they barred from further employment under the National Coal Board or under other nationalised industries? The right hon. Gentleman will have to formulate a policy.

Mr. Isaacs

I am afraid I could not answer that lengthy list of supplementaries, but it is only fair to say that, so far as the coal industry is concerned, very active steps are being taken jointly between the National Coal Board and the Mineworkers' Union to bring about a lessening of absenteeism.