§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Fuel and Power the annual amount paid in salaries and expenses in the Mines Department in 1938; and what is the amount payable in the salaries and expenses of officials of his Ministry at the latest available date.
§ Mr. ShinwellThe expenditure on salaries and expenses of officers of the Mines Department in the year ended 31st March, 1939, was approximately £208,000.The approximate cost of salaries and expenses of officers of the Ministry of Fuel and Power for the year ending 31st March, 1946, including the cost of the Coal Control Opencast Coal Operations and petrol rationing, is £3,000,000.
§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many officials there were in the Mines Department in 1938; and how many there were in his Ministry at the latest available date.
§ Mr. ShinwellThe number of staff employed in the Mines Department in 1938 was 518. Thenumber of officials employed by the Ministry of Fuel and Power on 1st September, 1945 was 8,659 This includes a Petroleum staff of 1,993, of whom 1,875 are employed on petrol rationing; and an Opencast Coal Production staff of 3,165, of whom 1,156 are directly employed industrial staff. The responsibilities of this Ministry are, of course, very much wider than those of the former Mines Department owing to, for example, added functions in regard to the gas and electricity industries, and wartime developments, such as petrol rationing and opencast coal production.
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§ Sir W. Smithersasked the Minister of Fuel and Power the annual cost of the Mines Department in 1938; and what is the lastest available figure of annual cost of the coal department of his Ministry.
§ Mr. ShinwellThe net expenditure of the Mines Department for the year ended 31st March, 1939, was £217,146. The current cost of the salaries and administrative expenses of the Coal Division and Regional Coal organisation, excluding staff engaged on production of opencast coal, of the Ministry of Fuel and Power is approximately £1,030,000 per annum.