§ Mr. Dayasked the Under-Secretary of State for India whether he will give the latest figures of the number of women, and their average ages, still employed underground as a labour force in the coal and salt mines in Bengal, Bihar, and Orissa, and the Central Provinces and the Punjab?
§ Mr. ButlerDuring the year 1935, the latest year for which figures are available, the daily average number of women employed underground in mines in the provinces specified was 9,551, distributed as follows:
In Coal mines in— Bengal 3,575 Bihar and Orissa 5,136 Central Provinces 765 In Salt mines in— Punjab 75 I have no information regarding their ages.
The Government of India have recently issued a notification prohibiting the employment of women underground in mines on and after the 1st July next.