§ Mr. Cluseasked the Secretary for Mines whether he has considered the communication from the Islington fuel officer as to the scarcity of coal in that area; and what action he proposes to take to remedy the serious shortage of coal in that populous area?
§ Mr. LloydI am aware of the correspondence with the Local Fuel Overseer for Islington on this subject, and I can
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Particulars of Coal-Cutters and Conveyors and the average annual output of coal per wage-earner. Year. Number of Coal-cutting Machines in use. Proportion of total output of Saleable Coal cut by Machinery. Number of Conveyors in use. Average Annual Output of Saleable Coal per wage-earner.* At the Coal Face. Elsewhere below-ground. Great Britain. Per cent. Tons 1927 … … 7,116 23 2,078 Not available 251 1928 … … 7,131 26 2,203 653 261 1929 … … 7,361 28 2,598 620 278 1930 … … 7,637 31 2,991 756 265 1931 … … 7,371 35 3,137 816 262 1932 … … 7,137 38 3,265 855 262 1933 … … 7,149 42 3,717 1,039 271 1934 … … 7,406 47 4,090 1,279 290 1935 … … 7,472 51 4,613 1,527 298 1936 … … 7,600 55 4,966 1,761 308 1937 … … 7,781 57 5,287 2,013 315 1938 … … 7,729 59 5,623 2,203 297 (January 1939 to June). Not available 155† South Wales and Monmouthshire. 1927 … … 425 7 697 Not available 240 1928 … … 401 8 581 191 267 1929 … … 430 9 681 229 278 1930 … … 460 10 745 228 247 1931 … … 484 12 699 233 250 1932 … … 437 12 653 222 245 1933 … … 454 13 712 225 249 1934 … … 472 15 727 239 261 1935 … … 476 18 789 263 269 1936 … … 482 21 785 278 271 1937 … … 519 24 878 329 283 1938 … … 535 26 968 338 264 1939 … … — — — — 137† (February to July). Not available * Particulars for South Wales and Monmouthshire relate to the year ended January. † It is not in the public interest to publish war time figures. assure the hon. Member that everything possible is being done to remedy the shortage of coal in this and other districts.