§ Mr. Ness Edwardsasked the Minister et Fuel and Power whether he will give the number of shifts lost per year by miners through industrial disputes from the outbreak of war to 31st March, 1944, and the shifts lost annually for the same period 37W by the inability of the employers to provide employment.
Major Lloyd GeorgeThe approximate number of manshifts lost in the coal mining industry owing to disputes in each of the years ended March, 1940, to March, 1944, is as follows:
Year ended March,
1940 … … 730,000 1941 … … 260,000 1942 … … 390,000 1943 … … 810,000 1944 … … 1,790,000 There is no information available on the latter part of the Question except such as is derived from payments made under the Guaranteed Wage Scheme and then only since the beginning of July, 1943. During the 36 weeks ended 11th March, 1944, the guaranteed wage was paid in respect of 1,600,000 manshifts. Approximately one-seventh of these shifts related to cases where men were put on to other than their normal work. The remainder were due to a variety of causes which for the most part were outside the employers' control.