§ Mr. Concannonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the National Coal Board has increased its productivity by the amount considered possible in the 1967 fuel policy White Paper.
§ Mr. NobleThe 1967 White Paper on Fuel Policy reported that the N.C.B. considered that an increase of about a third should be technically possible by 1970–71. It also referred to the difficulties involved in achieving such an increase.270W The current annual rate of output per man shift is about a fifth higher than the rate in 1966–67 and the N.C.B. hope for some further rise before the end of their financial year.
§ Mr. Concannonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the actual rate at the nearest convenient date of output per manshift in the mining industry; and how this compares with the figures forecast of a rise of 10 per cent. per year from 1966–67.
§ Mr. Noble43.6 cwt. a man-shift overall in the first seven months of 1970–71. The average annual increase between 1966–67 and 1969–70 was 6 per cent.