§ 6. Mr. Nealasked the Paymaster-General what general directions he has given the National Coal Board regarding the closure of less remunerative collieries.
§ Mr. MaudlingNone, Sir.
§ Mr. NealAre we to assume from that answer that there is to be no acceleration in the closure of collieries during this year? Can the right hon. Gentleman allay the anxiety now prevailing in the coalfields by giving a promise that no pits will be closed without prior consultation with the workmen's representatives, especially in those cases where a mutual exchange of views might extend the useful life of a colliery?
§ Mr. MaudlingThe National Coal Board has to take its own decisions as to what pits it can keep open and what pits it can close. The Board has always consulted very fully the representatives of the miners concerned before reaching a decision. Compared with 1947, when the Board took over, there are now 146 fewer collieries in production, and all those closures, I think, have been carried out very smoothly indeed.
§ Mr. PeytonDoes not my right hon. Friend agree that it is still necessary to keep under review the high-price, uneconomic pits in order, above all, to avoid the disaster of a further increase in the price of coal?
§ Mr. MaudlingThe Board is at the moment paying very close attention to the pits where the costs of production are particularly high.