§ MR. D. GRAHAMasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state I the number of collieries within the county of Lanark that have been rendered-idle in consequence of breakages in machinery, etc., during the course of the present year, the numbers of men involved, and the approximate time lost?
§ Sir A. GEDDESI am unable to give precise information in the desired form, but I will have circulated in the OFFICIAL REPORT a tabular statement relating to each period of four weeks since the beginning of the year.
The following is the statement referred to —
the coal situation, the Board of Trade suggested to local authorities that they should refrain from taking proceedings against gas companies in respect of deficient calorific power in cases where the calorific power did not fall below 450 British thermal units or where the percentage of incombustible constituents in the gas was not excessive. At that time the Board hoped that by the end of October this suggestion could be withdrawn, but I am afraid it will be necessary to renew it until the end of April owing to the difficulties which have 401W been experienced in accumulating sufficient stocks of coal at gasworks to meet demands for gas during the winter.