§ 46. Mr. Edwin Wainwrightasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions he has had discussions with the officials of the National 253W Union of Mineworkers during this past 12 months on the future of the coal mining industry.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe union has had eight such meetings with the Ministers of this Department in this period.
§ 54. Dame Irene Wardasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the capital cost of new machinery for increasing productivity installed in the mines in the years 1948 to 1958, 1959 to 1965, and 1965 to the nearest practical date.
§ Mr. Tom BoardmanExpenditure on colliery plant and machinery between 1965 and March 1972 was £367 million. The earlier figures are not available and I have asked the Coal Board to supply them to my hon. Friend. Since 1948 mechanised output rose from 2.5 per cent. to 92.2 per cent. of the total: productivity from 22.3 to 41.9 cwt. per man shift.
§ 56. Mr. Loveridgeasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what are the total sums, subsidising and invested, in the coal industry over the years since nationalisation, including the £475 million just announced, and including any amounts of the original investment written off.
§ Mr. EmeryAt 30th November 1972 Government grants totalled £168 million. Government investment net of repayments amounted to £1,197 million.
§ 57. Mr. Loveridgeasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, apart from direct investment and subsidy, what is the estimated value to the coal industry of indirect subsidies, including all taxes or tariffs on alternative fuels, since nationalisation.
§ Mr. EmeryI regret the complexity of the issues makes it impossible, within a reasonable financial consideration, to estimate the figure for which my hon. Friend asks.
§ 61. Mr. Varleyasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list in the OFFICIAL REPORT the number of pit closures and the number of redundancies in the British coalmining industry for each year since, and including, 1947.
254W
§ Mr. Tom BoardmanThe figures are:
Pit closures (number) Redundancies (thousands) 1947 * * 1948 * * 1949 28 4.7 1950 11 4.1 1951 5 1.8 1952 16 1.3 1953 5 1.4 1954 8 1.2 1955 17 1.7 1956 10 1.6 1957 18 0.9 1958 29 1.0 1959 56 6.0 1960 35 1.7 1961 29 0.4 1962 51 3.9 1963 33 4.3 1964 34 2.2 1965 44 1.8 1966 61 3.2 1967 29 7.2 1968 70 25.2 1969 26 9.6 1970 10 6.1 1971 4 4.2 1972 7† 6.6† *Not available. † To end of November. During this period there has been a net reduction in manpower of 426,000.
§ Mr. Loveridgeasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he anticipates that the amounts of money now announced in subsidy and investment for the coal industry, after allowing for the £475 million related to past commitments although not yet fully paid, will result in a self-sufficient and self-financing industry without further future subsidy after the period when these new commitments have been fully met.
§ Mr. EmeryAs my right hon. Friend told the House on 11th December, the Government's proposals are designed to give the coal industry the opportunity to re-establish itself as the supplier of a competitive fuel without being a permanent burden on the taxpayer.—[Vol. 848, c. 31–40.]