§ Major Lyonsasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he can make any statement with reference to the recent case at Nottingham of a youth who refused to accept a direction to undertake mine work; whether any report on his physical fitness preceded the direction to work underground; whether any appeal was entered against the decision of the justices; what undertaking was received from the youth during his period of custody and upon what representations; and whether he can approximate the number of man hours and volume of coal lost in consequence of the strike that ensued?
Major Lloyd GeorgeSidney Page, a surface worker, aged 18, employed at Newstead Colliery, was interviewed on 25th June by officers of my Ministry and on their advice was given on 9th July a direction from the Minister of Labour and National Service to work underground. He appealed against the direction, but his appeal was turned down by the local appeal board on 23rd July and he was issued with another direction on 26th July. He failed to obey the direction and he was interviewed on 9th August by my Regional Controller. Since he still refused to go underground a summons was issued on 30th August and on 8th September he was prosecuted and sentenced to one month's imprisonment. Neither at the interview on 25th June nor when he was served with a direction did he plead ill-health as a reason for not accepting underground employment, and he was therefore not given a medical examination to which an objection on the ground of health would have entitled him, He did not appeal against the decision of the magistrates. While imprisoned he was238W visited on two occasions; first by the managing director of the colliery and by the senior checkweighman at a neighbouring colliery, who is a visiting justice to the prison; secondly by the same two men and by a prominent official of the Nottinghamshire Miners' Federated Union. On the second visit he made a written declaration that of his own free will he desired to go underground when required to do so. Approximately 107,000 tons of coal were lost owing to the stoppage in the Nottinghamshire coalfield.