§ Mr. Ness Edwardsasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will state, for the months of July and August, the cost of the guaranteed wage paid to miners for shifts they were compelled to lose on account of the owners failing to provide work; and the commercial value of the coal lost thereby?
North Staffordshire. Year. Number of Wage-earners employed at December. Quantity of Coal cut by Machines. Percentage of Coal cut by Machines Quantity of Coal conveyed. Percentage of Coal conveyed. Tons. Tons. 1920 … … * 1,153,178 21 Not available 1930 … … 24,979 2,943,048 53 2,609,668 47 1931 … … 22,445 3,503,027 65 3,293,747 61 1932 … … 22,542 4,086,142 73 3,981,951 71 1933 … … 22,889 4,351,129 76 4,294,150 75 1934 … … 22,919 5,081,975 81 4,975,372 79 1935 … … 22,625 5,728,145 86 5,723,245 86 1936 … … 23,109 6,417,988 91 6,272,848 89 1937 … … 24,048 6,631,811 92 6,480,904 90 1938 … … 23,593 6,396,272 92 6,292,179 91 1939 … … 24,415 7,014,861 95 6,864,692 93 1940 … … 22,664 6,670,845 94 6,516,188 92 1941 … … 21,858 6,077,382 94 5,982,979 92 * A comparable figure for 1920 is not available. The total numbers employed in that year, including clerks and salaried persons, were 38,273, of whom it is estimated about 37,600 were wage-earners.