§ Mr. Sorensenasked the Minister of Fuel and Power, in view of the Tong distance from home to which young men conscripted by ballot for work in the mines are sent, whether he will arrange for a quarterly period of leave to be counterbalanced, if necessary, by an adjustment of weekly working hours; and if he will consult the miners' associations respecting this.
Major Lloyd GeorgeNo, Sir. The many thousands of workers who have already been transferred away from their homes to work of national importance in other industries are not granted a special quarterly period of leave. There can be no reasons for according more favourable treatment to young men selected by ballot for work in the mines who, in common with other war workers transferred to
Department. 1939–40. 1940–41. 1941–42. 1942–43. 1943–44. £ £ £ £ £ War Office 7,838 7,898 130,063 72,736 4,488 Admiralty 21,832 6,085 20,090 21,910 4,836 Air Ministry 65,900 77,750 329,122 171,728 4,601 Ministry of Food 58,145 361,925 518,106 529,517 521,586 Ministry of Agriculture (and Department of Agriculture for Scotland) 21,630 62,762 110,408 151,154 194,232 Ministry of Health (and Department of Health for Scotland) 15,312 19,793 4,987 46,370 119,786 India Office 2,936 686 1,016 718 194 Board of Trade 699 2,810 54,668 91,517 99,318 Post Office 5,024 14,964 5,846 14,991 24,839 Home Office 101 88 447 234 148 Ministry of Fuel and Power — 24,000 44,000 263,000 218,420 Ministry of Works 1,826 2,707 37,278 4,066 129 Ministry of Information — 99,124 11,315 17,470 12,849 Ministry of Home Security — 53,000 38,000 — — Inland Revenue — — — — 5,000 Ministry of Labour and National Service 10,681 25,422 149,385 22,338 142,830 Ministry of Supply 199 40,379 290 71,069 45,038 Ministry of War Transport 29,000 38,000 82,000 20,000 23,000 National Savings Committee 124,846 486,507 502,786 558,238 535,351 Scottish Savings Committee 10,527 24,594 29,252 27,628 27,467 Stationery Office 786 305 3,723 93 76 Totals 377,282 1,348,799 2,072,782 2,084,777 1,984,188 For the purpose of this statement the allied or agency services performed by the Ministry of Information and the Stationery Office have been allocated to the various Departments on whose behalf the services have been performed.
2194Wwork at a distance from their homes, are eligible to receive two warrants which, on payment of 7s. 6d. for each journey, entitle them to travel home twice during the summer months. In view of the necessity for maintaining the cycle of coal-mining operations, it would not be in the interests of coal production to adjust the weekly working hours of a small section of the men in the manner suggested and the answer to the last part of the Question is therefore in the negative.