asked the Secretary of State for Energy, further to his reply in column 770 on 24th October 1978 concerning the National Coal Board productivity scheme, what was the total coal mined in the first 27 weeks of the current financial year; what was the total coal mined in the same first 27 weeks of the previous financial year; and what was the total wages and salaries paid by the National Coal Board for both periods.

Output in the first 27 weeks of the current financial year was 58,253,000 tonnes, very close to the figure for the corresponding period last year of 58,414,000. This is despite the fact that manpower was 4,000 lower in the later period. As the hon. Member knows from my answer to the earlier Question, productivity has been substantially higher.The question of wages and salaries is a matter for the National Coal Board, and I am asking the chairman to write to the hon. Member.