100. Lieut-Commander R. H. Thompsonasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will give the number of miners on the books of the National Coal Board at the last convenient date; and the percentages of the total employed in the categories of work at the coalface, ancillary work at the coalface, underground haulage, others underground and surface, respectively.
§ Mr. P. Noel-BakerThe number of wage-earners on colliery books at all coal mines on 17th February, 1951, was-699,100. On 10th December, 1949 (the latest date for which information is available), the percentage of effective wage-earners employed by the National Coal Board in various categories was:
The National Coal Board employ about 99 per cent, of the wage-earners on colliery books, the balance being employed in the small "licensed" mines.
Per cent. Coal-getters 19.0 Other face workers, excluding haulage hands 20.8 Haulage workers: at the face 1.4 elsewhere underground 16.7 All other underground workers 19.6 Surface workers 22.5 100.0