§ Mr. P. OLIVERasked the Secretary for Mines the number of complaints that he has received from coal areas with regard to district allocations under Section 2, Sub-section 2 (b), of the Coal Mines Act, 1930, and with regard to the quotas allocated to pits under Section 3 of the Act; the number of complaints made to the local committees set up under Section 5; and the number of complaints referred to arbitration under the same Section of the Act?
§ Mr. SHINWELLI have received very few complaints, but, as the hon. Member is aware, complaints by persons other than coalowners against district allocations, Standard tonnages and quotas, are properly directed to the Committees of Investigation set up under Section 5 of the Coal Mines Act, 1930. These committees have received 19 complaints, two of which relate to district allocations. Of the remaining 17, 14 can be grouped together as they were all in respect of the same act of an executive board. No complaint has been referred to arbitration under the provisions of Section 5 (8) of the Act.