asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the estimated cost of workmen's compensation payments per ton of coal for the years 1925, 1930 and 1935 to 1943.

No figures are available showing the total cost of workmen's compensation payments per ton of coal for any year later than 1938. The figures for the individual years up to that time are as follow:

				Pence.
1925	…	…	…	3¼
1930	…	…	…	3¼
1935	…	…	…	3¼
1936	…	…	…	3¼
1937	…	…	…	3
1938	…	…	…	3

Figures are, however, available by courtesy of the Mining Association, showing total payments from collieries including pay- meets to Mutual Indemnity Associations and Insurance Companies for each year since 1938, and these show that, with the development of workmen's compensation, the total payments have increased from about 4d. per ton in 1938 to about Ad. per ton in 1943.