§ 34. Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-Davenportasked the Minister of Power if he will give the average output per coal miner each year since the coal industry was nationalised, on the basis of figures supplied to him for compiling Tables 11 to 14 of his Statistical Digest.
§ Mr. GeorgeAverage output per man year rose from 265 tons in 1947 to 305 tons in 1951. It was 294 tons last year with permission, I will circulate the res of the figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
Mr. LeeIs the hon. Gentleman aware that hon. Members on this side of the House are extremely disappointed that he has knocked the hon. and gallant Member for Knutsford (Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-Davenport) for six and made him too timid to ask a supplementary question? Is it not a fact that output per man-shift, either on that level or on the price of coal, shows that the British coal industry is one of the most valuable coal industries in the world and is, indeed, a very great credit both to the National Coal Board and to the miners?
§ Mr. GeorgeOn the question of output per man-shift, which in some ways is a better yardstick than output per man-year, since it eliminates variations in work-time, it has moved upwards, with no substantial reverse, from 1.09 tons in 1947 to 1.26 tons in 1958, and to 1.33 tons in 1959.
§ Lieut.-Colonel Bromley-DavenportIn view of the fact that there has been at least a 75 per cent. increase in mechanisation in the mines, ought not production to be considerably higher? I wonder whether my hon. Friend can clear up the one point which is bothering us on these benches? Which does his Department consider the biggest 624 millstone round the necks of the taxpayers, the mining industry or British Railways?
§ Mr. GeorgeI would not seek to answer the last part of my hon. and learned Friend's supplementary question, but I am not aware that the Government consider either of the two industries a millstone round the necks of the taxpayers.
§ Mr. WyattIs the Minister also aware that we very much welcome his change of attitude? He left the coal mines when they were nationalised and has now come back to them because he has seen how well the industry is working, and he is defending it very effectively.
§ Mr. GeorgeThat is scarcely a supplementary question to the Question on the Order Paper.
Mr. LeeIs it not the case that in two very important regions of the Coal Board, which are becoming increasingly important within the general plan. we have already reached the stage of 40 cwt. per man-shift?
§ Mr. GeorgeI have not the actual figures, but I know that in the Midlands area the figure of 40 cwt. per man-shift has been reached.
§ Following are the figures:
| — | Below and above ground | Underground only | ||
| 1947 | … | … | 265 | 341 |
| 1948 | … | … | 275 | 350 |
| 1949 | … | … | 283 | 363 |
| 1950 | … | … | 295 | 379 |
| 1951 | … | … | 305 | 392 |
| 1952 | … | … | 301 | 384 |
| 1953 | … | … | 298 | 379 |
| 1954 | … | … | 303 | 383 |
| 1955 | … | … | 299 | 376 |
| 1956 | … | … | 298 | 375 |
| 1957 | … | … | 296 | 371 |
| 1958 | … | … | 288 | 360 |
| 1959 | … | … | 294 | 366 |
| The figures have been adjusted to give comparability with the latest year except that the last four relate to periods of 52 weeks and earlier periods are calendar years. |