Mr. RUNCIMANasked the Home Secretary if he will state the numbers of persons employed in coal mining in Great Britain below ground on 31st December, 1013, 1914, 1915, 1916, 1917, and on 30th June, 1918?
§ Sir G. CAVEThe returns collected by the Home Office under the Coal Mines Act, 1911, are returns of the number of persons ordinarily employed during the year. They do not give the number employed at the end of the year, except for 1914, when, in view of the heavy depletion of mine labour due to recruiting in the last five months of that year, owners were asked to furnish, in lieu of the usual return the number of persons ordinarily employed during the period January to July, 1914, and the number employed on the last pay-day in December, 1914. The figures are as follows:
Year. Number employed below ground. 1913 895,857. 1914 901,385 (average number employed January to July). 769,099 (number employed on last pay-day in December). 1915 743,465. 1916 782,312. 1917 799,462. 1918 760,000 (approximate figure for four weeks ending 22nd June, 1918, supplied by Coal Controller).