§ Dr. Barnett Strossasked the Minister of National Insurance how many cases of pneumoconiosis were certified in Britain in the year 1944–45; and what was the distribution of the cases according to the various coalfields.
§ Mr. J. GriffithsThe number of coal miners certified to be totally disabled, or suspended, on account of this disease in 1945 was 5,700. I regret that it is not possible at present to give the distribution of the cases among the various coal-fields but 5,074 of them were in South Wales. These figures were inflated by the large number of examinations which had to stand over from 1944 owing to the shortage of suitably qualified doctors. The corresponding figures for 1944 were 2,048 and 1,605.