§ Mr. Mainwaringasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he can provide an estimate of the percentage of dwellings liable to be affected by subsidence within each of the mining districts of Britain, and which fall into the respective categories of protected or non-protected leases or freeholds, in relation to damage likely to be caused.
§ Mr. P. Noel-BakerI regret that I am not able to provide any estimate of the kind which my hon. Friend desires. If the National Coal Board attempted to make an estimate, it would involve a burden of detailed investigation which I should not feel justified in asking them to undertake; and the result might not be sufficiently reliable to serve any useful purpose.