Skip to main content

Coal Output

Volume 487: debated on Monday 7 May 1951

The text on this page has been created from Hansard archive content, it may contain typographical errors.

20.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is now in a position to state the total output the miners have produced in response to the Prime Minister's appeal some three months ago.

The average number of workers in the pits during the first four months of this year was 6,500 less than in the corresponding period a year ago. During January and February there was the worst epidemic of influenza for many years. In spite of these handicaps, the output of deep-mined coal was 3,078,000 tons more than were produced in the first four months of 1950. I am sure the House will agree that this result reflects great credit on the National Coal Board, on the divisional boards, and on the managements and men.

Is my right hon. Friend aware that his answer contains conclusive evidence which gives the lie direct to statements made in certain quarters in January and February that the miners were not pulling their weight? Is he further aware that it reveals the active patriotism of British miners?

While agreeing very much with what the hon. Member for Ince (Mr. T. Brown) and the Minister have said about the miners, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether his statement does not also conclusively show that it would have been much wiser to have made this appeal earlier and not to have waited until January, when the shortage was already causing hardship?

Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that this is a very important question and should not be a mere cockshy of party politics? Can he tell the House how much of this welcome increase is due to extra hard work on the part of the miners, how much is due to reorganisation by his Department, and how much is due to mechanisation, and so on?

I hope and believe that the investment programme of the Coal Board is giving constantly increasing results. Saturday working is certainly giving a large part of the additional coal; and the output per man shift, although it tends to be reduced by Saturday working because of the short shift, has, nevertheless, been 3 per cent. higher than last year.

Is it now necessary to import coal from America at £8 a ton, occupying a great part of our shipping space?

21.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the output of coal from each region separately in response to the Prime Minister's appeal some three months ago; and the output for the same period in 1950.

Every division, and, to the best of my knowledge, every area, has made its contribution to the increased output of deep mined coal which there has been this year. With my hon. Friend's permission, I will circulate the detailed figures in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following are the figures:

DEEP-MINED OUTPUT FOR FIRST 17 WEEKS OF YEAR

Tons

Division17 weeks ended 28th April, 195117 weeks ended 29th April, 1950Increase 1951 over 1950
Scotland8,043,6007,788,100+255,500
Northern (N. & C.)4,429,2004,333,500+95,700
Durham9,170,8008,742,000+428,800
North-Eastern.14,973,90014,396,300+577,600
North-western.5,218,3004,869,500+348,800
East Midlands.14,326,90013,402,500+924,400
West Midlands.6,110,5005,915,000+195,500
South-Western.8,453,0008,228,900+224,100
South-Eastern.595,500568,200+27,300
Great Britain.71,321,70068,244,000+3,077,700

27.

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the extent to which the miners have been able to fulfil their undertaking of an extra 3,000,000 tons of coal made to the Prime Minister.

I would refer the hon. Member to the answer which I have made this afternoon to Question No. 20.