§ Mr. D. GRAHAMasked the Secretary for Mines the number of mines temporarily abandoned in the different mining counties in Scotland to the end of October, 1927, with the number of persons laid idle as a consequence in each county?
§ Colonel LANE FOXThe number of mines temporarily abandoned in the different mining counties of Scotland from 1st December, 1926, to 31st October, 1927, and the number of wage-earners employed thereat are as follow:
County. Number of pits temporarily abandoned. Number of Wage-earners employed thereat. Argyll 1 28 Ayr 12 1,134 Dumfries 1 8 Edinburgh 1 10 Fife 4 371 Haddixngton 1 297 Lanark 27 1,738 Linlithgow 8 814 Peebles 1 2 The above figures do not agree with the total figure quoted in my answer to the hon. Member for Reading on 29th 726W November, as they include certain pits temporarily abandoned for reasons other than economic.
§ Mr. D. GRAHAMasked the Secretary for Mines the reason why the Bog and Home Farm Collieries, Larkhall, Lanarkshire, have been abandoned; whether he is aware that there is sufficient coal in the area operated by these collieries to enable them to continue in production for a period of at least 30 years at a rate of output prior to their abandonment; and whether his Department can take any action in the matter to avoid the loss involved to both the locality concerned and the nation?
§ Mr. WELSHasked the Secretary for Mines whether, seeing that the proved and estimated coal resources of the county of Renfrew at the beginning of the present century was 165,000,000 tons and that to-day there are no collieries in that county producing coal, he is prepared to state what are the intentions of the Government regarding the matter of seeing that these coal resources are not lost to the community?
§ Colonel LANE FOXI am aware that the coal referred to in both questions is not now being worked. One of the difficulties of the coal industry at present is to find markets for its output, and if the demand increases sufficiently to provide a profitable market for this coal, I have no doubt that it will be worked without the necessity for Government intervention.