asked the Minister for Industry and Commerce if he will state in respect of the years 1943, 1944 and 1945 (a) the average number of wage earners on the books of colliery concerns; (b) the average number of shifts worked per week by each wage earner; (c) the average output in tons per manshift worked (i) at the coal face, (ii) elsewhere below ground, (iii) all underground, (iv) on the surface, and (v) overall; and (d) the average number of manshifts worked at the coal face as a percentage of the total manshifts worked.
Written Answers. - Colliery Statistics.
With regard to (a) of the Deputy's question, the average number of wage-earners employed by colliery concerns in each of the years 1943, 1944 and 1945 was 1,319, 1,569 and 1,772 respectively. The figure for 1945 is to be regarded as provisional and subject to amendment.
The other particulars asked by the Deputy are available only for the six months July-December, 1945, during which (b) the average number of shifts worked per week by each wage-earner was 4.7; (c) the average output per manshift worked was (i) at the coal face 1.13 tons, (ii) elsewhere below ground 1.45 tons, (iii) all underground 0.63 tons, (iv) on the surface 2.74 tons and (v) overall 0.51 tons; and (d) the average number of manshifts worked at the coal face as percentage of total manshifts worked was 45.6.