§ Sir HENRY HIBBERTasked the President of the Board of Trade whether the Order of the Coal Controller that schools are not to be rationed applies to all schools?
§ Mr. WARDLEThere is no Order of the Controller of Coal Mines stating that schools are not to be rationed. So long as schools consume less coal than the maximum allowance agreed by the Controller they are, in a sense, not rationed, and, as the consumption of public elementary schools falls below the scale applicable to schools in general, a misunderstanding has arisen in the matter.
Major NEWMANasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware of the hardship caused by the Coal Controller's Regulations to householders who, for reasons connected with the War, have given hospitality to members of their family and have rooms occupied which before the War may have been empty or only occasionally used, and where, in consequence, now a fire may be required the whole day; and will he give instructions for the local fuel overseers to deal sympathetically with such cases?
§ Mr. WARDLEThe Controller of Coal Mines is not aware of any hardships arising out of the circumstances mentioned in the question. Where more than 1493W six persons are habitually resident in a moderate-sized house an extra ton of fuel is allowed under the general scale.
§ Major H. TERRELLasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that the coal shortage is not wholly or mainly due to absenteeism on the part of colliers; and whether, if colliers worked five days a week, nine hours per day from bank to bank, and there were no absenteeism or strike, the supply of coal would be sufficient for all requirements?
§ Mr. WARDLEI am aware that, as the hon. Member suggests, the coal shortage is not wholly or mainly due to absenteeism, although a decrease in avoidable absenteeism would largely mitigate it. I do not anticipate that any material increase in the output of coal would result from an endeavour to arrange a working week of five days of nine hours each bank to bank. If there were no avoidable absenteeism or strikes a considerable part of the shortage would be made up.
§ Major TERRELLasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is aware that in collieries and underground workmen are not permitted to work more than eight hours from bank to bank; and whether on an average an eight-hour day from bank to bank means less than seven hours' actual work?
§ Mr. WARDLESection 1, Sub-section 1 of the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1908, enacts that subject to the provisions of the Act, a workman shall not be below ground in a mine for the purpose of his work and of going to and from his work for more than eight hours during any twenty-four consecutive hours. As some time may be expended in going to and from work the actual period of work at the coalface may be, and often is, considerably less than eight hours.
§ Mr. A. ALLENasked the President of the Board of Trade whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that the Vale of Leven Co-operative Society, who have some 20,000 customers, have been compelled to refuse all orders for the delivery of coal owing to their inability to obtain any supplies; and whether he will take steps to remedy this as speedily as possible, in view of the inconvenience and hardship caused by the present state of affairs?
§ Mr. WARDLEInquiry is being made into the matter referred to by the hon. Member.