HC Deb 14 November 1934 vol 293 cc1968-70W
Mr. McGOVERN

asked the Secretary for Mines the cost of the Mines Reorganisation Commission up to the latest date and the total amount paid to each member, including the chairman, with the number of sittings; what are the details of the reorganisation schemes carried through by the commission and, particularly, the names and number of collieries affected and the number of men displaced by these schemes; and what provision, if any, has been made to protect the miners displaced?

Mr. E. BROWN

I am informed that the commission have held 110 sittings up to date. Particulars of expenditure and of individual remuneration are as follow:

Coal Mines Reorganisation Commission.
Expenditure to 31st October, 1934.
— Remuneration. Travelling and Incidental Expenses. Total.
1. Chairman and Commissioners: £ s. d. £ s. d. £ s. d.
Sir Ernest A. Gowers 23,073 7 5 471 8 2 23,544 15 7
J. Jones 2,637 1 6 206 3 6 2,843 5 0
Sir Felix Pole 2,637 1 6 35 2 0 2,672 3 6
Sir William Pole 2,637 1 6 606 2 10 3,243 4 4
L. Holt — 6 6 0 6 6 0
30,984 11 11 1,325 2 6 32,309 14 5
2. Commission Staff (including travelling, etc., expenses of staff lent). 4,040 1 3 859 11 6 4,899 12 9
3. Telegrams and Telephones — 413 0 0 413 0 0
4. Salaries of Staff lent to the Commission 22,788 1 5 — 22,788 1 5
5. Fees and Expenses of professional and technical agents. — — 20,693 6 0
81,103 14 7
6. Cost of Accommodation borne on Office of Works Vote. — — 11,524 0 0
92,627 14 7

With regard to the second part of the question, particulars of colliery amalgamations carried through during the years 1931, 1932 and 1933 were given for each year in Part III of the Annual Report of my Department. Particulars of completed schemes since the end of 1933 are as follow:

  1. 1. Bedlington Coal Company, Limited, have taken over Wallsend and Hebburn Coal Company, Limited.
  2. 2. Bairds and Dalmellington, Limited, have taken over the Mauchline Collieries of Caprington and Auchlochan Collieries, Limited.
  3. 3. Barrow Barnsley Main Collieries, Limited, and Wombwell Main Company, Limited, have amalgamated their coke-oven businesses.
  4. 4. Practically all the collieries in the Lothians district, with one exception, have joined in the formation of a joint company called the "Associated Lothian Coal Owners, Limited," with powers to centralise sales and other wide powers "for the conduct of any business or operations in the common interest of the constituent companies."
  5. 5. Manchester Collieries have completed their amalgamation with Bridgewater Collieries, Limited, by direct acquisition of the property of the latter (but this is only a change in form, as Manchester Collieries previously held all the shares of Bridgewater Collieries).

I am not aware that any of the schemes has yet resulted in any displacement of labour, so that the last part of the question does not arise.

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