§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSasked the Secretary for Mines how many collieries during the last 12 months have adopted the permissive Clause in the Coal Mines Act, 1919, where 60 days each year can be worked in excess of the seven hours; 829W and can he give similar information for any previous year?
§ Colonel LANE FOXThere is no statistical information available on this point. It could only be obtained by examining the registers at every colliery.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSasked the Secretary for Mines the estimated increase in output for a full year, assuming an eight-hour coal-winding day was adopted throughout the country and all collieries worked full time?
§ Colonel LANE FOXIn order to be able to state in figures the effect of an eight-hour day upon the volume of annual demand and output, it would be necessary to know also what the corresponding figure would have been for the same period with the different conditions as to costs, etc., under a seven-hour day. This obviously can never be possible.