§ 21. Mr. Dickensasked the Minister of Power if he will state the number and location, by National Coal Board divisions, of profitable collieries rendered unprofitable as a consequence of manpower shortage in the year ended 26th March, 1966.
§ The Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Power (Dr. Jeremy Bray)The manpower shortage has affected adversely the profitability of a large number of pits, but I am informed by the Board that information is not available in the form requested.
§ Mr. DickensIs my hon. Friend aware that his reply is most unsatisfactory? Is he further aware that the argument advanced by the Government about there being a hard core of viable pits is now running very thin? Is it not the case that the manpower shortage in the East Midlands, the West Midlands and Yorkshire has been greatly accelerated by the speeded-up colliery closures programme?
§ Dr. BrayMy hon. Friend will be glad to hear that the reduction in manpower in the last eight weeks has been about 12½ per cent. less than in the same period last year. We all hope that this hopeful trend will continue.