§ Mr. Deakinsasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many coal miners are unemployed in south Wales; and how many vacancies there are for coal miners in south Wales.
§ Mr. Nicholas EdwardsDetailed information based on those trades classified in the Department of Employment's classification of occupations as "underground coal mining occupations" shows that at September 1982, the latest date for which such information is available, 95 unemployed persons in South Wales were registered as face trained coal mining workers.
At the same date there were two notified vacancies in this category. I am told by the NCB that, in present circumstances, it is their policy to fill vacancies wherever possible from within their existing work force.