§ Mr. Tudor Watkinsasked the Secretary of State for Employment and Productivity how many applications have been received from redundant miners within the West Wales area for redundancy payments under the 1965 Act; how many were disallowed; how many have made appeals; and how many of the appeals were allowed since the appointed day.
§ Mr. HattersleyApplications for redundancy payments are made to employers, and employees whose applications are refused may decide that they do not wish to appeal. I do not know, therefore, how many applications are made or how many are refused by employers.
Since the Redundancy Payments Act came into force the National Coal Board has made over 2,000 redundancy payments to coalmining employees in West Wales. Sixty-six employees have appealed to industrial tribunals; 14 of the appeals were allowed, 15 were disallowed, one is pending, and 36 were withdrawn after satisfactory settlement with the National Coal Board.