§ Mr. Adleyasked the Minister for Energy what are the levels of absenteeism in Great Britain's coal mines, compared with the equivalent figures for France, West Germany and the United States of America.
§ Mr. EmeryPercentage rates of absenteeism in NCB mines are published monthly in "Trade and Industry". The latest annual information is given on page 145 of the issue dated 24th January and is as follows:
Year Total Voluntary Involuntary (including sickness and injury) 1971 18.1 4.4 13.7 1972 16.6 3.9 12.7 The latest figures published by the Statistical Office of the European Communities for France and the Federal Republic of Germany relate to 1971 and are as follows:
Country Total Due to Sickness, Injury, Technical and Economic Reasons* Other Reasons France 20.0 9.6 10.4 Germany 25.2 14.7 10.5 * Including industrial disputes in France Figures for the United Kingdom are not comparable, even in total, with those for the other countries because of the treatment of absence due to industrial disputes and other differences in the methods of compilation. Figures for the United States of America are not readily available.