§ 20. Mr. Cooperasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will now publish figures on the basis of Table 19 of his statistical digest giving the estimated tonnage of coal lost through strikes in 1955 and in the period January-March, 1956.
§ The Minister of Fuel and Power (Mr. Aubrey Jones)The figures are 2,688,000 and 363,000 tons, respectively.
§ Mr. CooperIn the light of the figures he has given, would my right hon. Friend agree that the elimination of strikes, of which there were no fewer than 3,581 last year, is vital if we are to solve our balance of payments problem?
§ Mr. JonesYes, Sir, most certainly I would agree. The diminution of stoppages in the coal industry would help our balance of payments position very much indeed.