HC Deb 24 November 1925 vol 188 cc1195-8W
Mr. HARTSHORN

asked the Secretary for Mines if he can state the terms of the agreement entered into between the Government and the coal owners for the payment of the subsidy to the coal industry?

Colonel LANE-FOX

The agreement is as follows:

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE MINES DEPARTMENT AND THE MIXING ASSOCIATION OF GREAT BRITAIN, DATED 6TH AUGUST, 1925.

  1. 1. The wages payable to the men from 1st August, 1925, to 1st May, 1926, in each area shall be not less than the minimum which would have continued to operate in the area if the provisions of the Wages Agreement, dated 18th June, 1924, had continued in operation.
  2. 2. Wages for the month of August, 1925, shall be determined from the ascertained results of April, May and June, 1925, in September from the ascertained results of May, June and July, and so on.
  3. 3. Subject to Clause 4 hereof, the Government will, during the period from 1st August, 1925, to 1st May, 1926, pay monthly to each colliery the excess, if any, of its wages bill, calculated at the minimum percentage on basis rates prescribed in Clause 5 of the Agreement of 1924 plus the allowances payable under Clauses C and 7 thereof, over the wages which would have been payable according to the method prescribed in the Mining Association's proposals transmitted to the Miners' Federation on the 1st July, 1925, subject as follows:
    1. (i) No deduction shall be made as provided in the second part of Clause 4 thereof in respect of the special allowances referred to therein, and correspondingly such payments shall not, for the purpose of determining the amount of subvention payable, if any, be included in the wages which would have been payable according to the said proposals as provided above.
    2. (ii) The areas shall be the districts specified in the 1st Schedule to the Agreement of 1924.
    3. (iii) The accounting principles to be followed in making the ascertainments shall be those followed in connection with the Agreement of 1924.
    4. (iv) The periods of ascertainments shall be as specified in Clause 2 above.
    Provided that if in any ascertainment so made the sum remaining after the deduction from proceeds of costs other than wages and 87 per cent. of the balance exceeds 1s. 3d. per ton raised and weighed at the pit head during the period of ascertainment, the rates of wages to be borne by the owners shall, for the purpose of determining the amount of subvention payable (if any) be increased by an amount corresponding to such excess.
  4. 4. For the purpose of ascertaining the amount of subvention, if any, to which each individual owner is entitled in respect of any month, the Mines Department form N.W.S. 3 shall be made up and rendered after the end of each calendar month to the Mines Department. 1197 The provisions and conditions contained in the form shall form part of this Agreement.
  5. 5. Advances on account of subvention shall be made by the Mines Department on application in the prescribed form.
  6. 6. No colliery shall be entitled to subvention unless the provisions of this Agreement are accepted by it.
  7. 7. Ascertainments shall be certified by duly qualified accountants as being made up in accordance with this Agreement.
  8. 8. The Mines Department shall have the same rights as those secured to the work-

The estimated quantity of coal raised and weighed during the months of August, September and October, 1925, and the estimated cost of Subvention in respect of those periods, are as follows:—

Area. August. September. October.
Tonnage raised. Cost of Subvention. Tonnage raised. Cost of Subvention. Tonnage raised. Cost of Subvention.
£ £ £
Northumberland 854,800 16,000 968,400 23,000 1,117,300 170,000
Durham 2,188,500 277,000 2,427,000 312,000 2,741,600 412,000
South Wales and Monmouth. 2,698,100 355,000 3,355,800 416,000 3,632,900 664,000
Eastern Area 6,220,600 300,000 7,024,600 315,000 7,926,000 528,000
Lancashire, Cheshire and North Stuffs. 1,471,200 186,000 1,695,100 202,000 1,936,100 303,000
North Wales 198,600 29,000 218,700 32,000 250,000 42,000
S. Staffs, and Salop. 169,500 20,000 194,800 19,000 206,000 28,000
Cumberland 143,300 25,000 178,300 34,000 194,200 40,000
Bristol 18,800 2,000 18,700 2,000 22,400 3,000
Forest of Dean 82,000 12,000 86,200 12,000 99,200 16,000
Somerset 69,500 2,000 68,200 2,000 75,100 2,000
Kent 28,800 2,000 30,000 3,000 35,400 3,000
Scotland 2,537,000 301,000 2,692,500 334,000 2,939,400 409,000
Great Britain 16,680,700 1,627,000 18,958,300 1,805,000 21,175,600 2,620,000

men's representatives under the Wages Agreement of 1924 in regard to checking the accuracy of ascertainments.

Mr. HARTSHORN

asked the Secretary for Mines the quantity of coal raised in each of the coalfields in the United Kingdom, and the amount of subsidy paid in respect of such output during the months of August, September and October, 1925, respectively?

Colonel LANE-FOX

The figures are as follows: