§ 14. Dame Irene Wardasked the Minister of Power whether he will give a general direction, in the public interest, to the National Coal Board to take steps to reduce voluntary absenteeism among the miners, with a view to increasing the revenue of the National Coal Board and enabling it to meet its commitments, reduce the price to the consumer, and assist the balance of payments situation by offering coal for export at competitive prices.
§ Mr. Frederick LeeNo, Sir.
§ Dame Irene WardAs Lord Robens will be very concerned at the righ rate of voluntary absenteeism in the coal mines, may I ask whether the Minister has consulted him? Could we have a full report of Lord Roben's views about why there is this high rate of voluntary absenteeism, which is certainly against the national interest?
§ Mr. LeeI should have thought that Lord Robens had made his views widely known. The Coal Industry National Consultative Committee is at present carrying out a coalfield survey, to consider all the relevant information on these matters and it will make recommendations.
§ Mr. William HamiltonWould my right hon. Friend explain why the coal industry is the only industry in Britain which must produce official figures of absenteeism? Is he aware that if he looks around he might care to make a guess at the amount of absenteeism on the benches opposite? I have made a quick calculation—[Interruption.]
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. The hon. Gentleman must ask a question but not add a statement.
§ Mr. HamiltonAnd I estimate—[Interruption.]—it at 84 per cent.
§ Mr. LeeAn inquiry is at present going on. I agree with my hon. Friend that one can overdo this sort of thing in the case of a particular industry. The coal industry has all kinds of inhibitions which are not peculiar to any other industry.