§ Mr. HANCOCKasked the Secretary for Mines whether he will give the wages cost per ton of coal disposable commercially for each month and for each district since the present mode of regulating wages in the mining industry was established: and will he give the alterations in wages that were made in each district and at each ascertainment?
§ Lieut.-Colonel LANE-FOXAs regards the first part of the question, the only information available is published in the Quarterly Statistical Summaries Com: mand Papers numbered 1597, 1720, 1726 and 1759, copies of which I am sending to the hon. Member. A similar statement for the quarter ended 30th September, 1922, will be available shortly. The second part of the question involves a long statistical statement, and I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, include it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
The, following is the statement referred to:
739W740W
STATEMENT showing for each month from October, 1921, the Percentages payable In excess of the Basis Wage Rates in each District in accordance with the ascertainments prescribed by the Terms of Settlement dated 1st July, 1921. Note,—During July, August and September, 1921, Wages were not generally governed by district ascertainments and were augmented by subvention payments. District. Date when basis rates were fixed. Minimum percentage additions to the basis wage.rai.es payable under the Terms of Settlement dated 1st July, 1921* October 1921 November 1921 December 1921 January 1922 February 1922 March 1922 April 1922 May 1922 June 1922 July 1922 August 1922 September 1922 October 1922 November 1922 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. Year. % % % % % % % % % % % % % % % Scotland 1888 110.00 246.01 141.91 136.44 132.75 129.02 110.00 113.73 110.00 110.00 110.00 110.00 110.00 110.00 110.00 Northumberland 1879 80.00 212.93 121.19 107.35 85.76 82.66 80.00 85.15 88.40 80.00 80.00 80.00 80.00 91.38 92.23 Durham 1879 89.00 197.45 142.80 119.73 93.87 89.00 89.00 89.00 90.26 89.00 90.62 89.00 89.00 89.00 94.64 South Wales and Monmouth 1915 28.00 79.03 28.95 28.03 28.00 28.00 28.00 28.00 28.00 28.00 28.00 28.00 28.00 28.00 28.00 Yorkshire, Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Cannock Chase and Warwickshire. 1911 32.00 140.19 110.55 109.54 109.86 97.06 91.23 90.37 79.71 64.43 53.78 32.00 36.19 39.01 43.31 Lancashire, North Staffordshire and Cheshire. 1811 32.00 110.93 75.26 72.76 72.35 60.84 56.84 54.00 42.35 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 82.00 North Wales 1911 32.00 93.50 59.10 44.50 48.30 35.70 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 South Staffordshire and Salop 1911 32.00 78.81 52.44 33.92 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 Cumberland 1911 30.00 18.13 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 30.00 Bristol— East Bristol and Coalpit Heath— Hewers 1917 21.99 79.80 31.12 21.99 25.48 24.91 24.91 27.30 21.99 21.99 21.99 21.99 21.99 21.99 21.99 Other Workers 1917 23.99 81.47 32.79 23.99 27.15 26.91 26.91 28.97 23.99 23.99 23.99 23.99 23.99 23.99 23.99 Ashton Vale— Hewers 1917 20.00 83.14 34.46 26.00 28.82 28.92 28.92 30.64 26.00 26.00 26.00 26.00 26.00 26.00 26.00 Other Workers 1917 27.99 81.80 36.12 27.99 30.45 30.91 30.91 32.30 27.99 27.99 27.99 27.99 27.99 27.99 27.99 Forest of Dean 1912 62.00 113.91 62.00 64.33 62.00 62.00 63.15 62.00 62.00 62.00 62.00 62.00 62.00 62.00 62.00 Somerset— Badttock District 1918 22.00 114.60 67.28 57.58 57.61 44.05 55.78 59.40 48.04 30.33 29.81 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 Newbury District 1918 22.00 57.99 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 22.00 Kent 1911 32.00 81.08 32.00 32.00 32.00 82.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 32.00 * Under the Terms of Settlement it is provided that in no district shall wages be paid at lower rates than standard wages plus 20 per cent, thereof. "Standard Wages" are defined as "the district basis rates existing on the 31st March, 1921, plus the district percentages payable in July, 1914 (or the equivalents in any district in which there has been a subsequent merging into new standards), plus, in the case of pieceworkers, the percentage additions which were made consequent upon the reduction of hours from eight to seven." The figures in column 3 show the percentage additions which result from applying this proviso in each of the districts.