§ Sir N. GRATTAN-DOYLEasked the Secretary for Mines whether it is intended to introduce legislation for the purpose of allocating some portion of the Miners' Welfare Fund towards the relief of distress in the mining areas?
§ Commodore KINGThis question has been carefully considered by the Government. Parliament imposed the welfare levy for specific purposes, to which it is being applied. Although there is a considerable balance in hand, the bulk of it is already earmarked for the purposes laid down in the Acts. In other cases money has been borrowed for welfare schemes on the security of future payments. The appropriation of any of the balance in hand for distress purposes would therefore cause serious difficulties and would also involve legislation. In the opinion of the Government it would be unjustifiable to propose to depart from the purposes laid down by the Acts of Parliament, except with the consent of the industry as a whole, from no section of which has such a suggestion been received.