§ Sir W. Darlingasked the Minister of Fuel and Power the respective average costs of traditionally mined coal and opencast coal and state how much of the present increase in output is due to opencast coal and how much to traditional mining.
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§ Mr. ShinwellIt is difficult to make any direct comparison between the cost of producing deepmined and opencast coal respectively. Broadly, however, the position is that for the former the cost in the second quarter of 1946 was 35s. 8d. a ton, and for the latter 35s. 4d. a ton, exclusive of amortisation of plant. This latter item ranges from about 3s. to about 7s. a ton, according to the expected life of the plant, a question on which it is not yet possible to form a definite opinion. In the 13 weeks ended 23rd November, weekly output of deepmined coal was 122,500 tons higher, and that of opencast coal was 21,800 tons higher, than in the corresponding period of 1945.