HC Deb 27 January 1944 vol 396 c876W
Mr. Brooks

asked the President of the Board of Trade the number of basic industries of the following categories operating in the years 1925 and 1931; collieries, ironstone mines, blast furnaces, steel producing plants, coke ovens and shipyards, respectively.

Mr. Dalton

The numbers are as follow:

Description. 1925. 1931.
Collieries—
Number of mines at work in Great Britain 2,721 2,243
Ironstone Mines—
Number in operation in Great Britain 52 46
Blast Furnaces—
Average number of furnaces in blast in United Kingdom 151 74
Coke Ovens—
Number in use in Great Britain 10,416 6,221

I regret that the information regarding steel producing plants and shipyards is not available.