asked the Prime Minister what steps the Government are taking to deal with the position in the mining industry, in view of the fact that the coalowners have given notice to terminate the agreement between themselves and the Miners' Federation of Great Britain at the end of July?

For the reason given in reply to a question by the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition—

Speak up; we cannot hear you.

That is because other people are talking at the same time. For the reason given in reply to a question by the right hon. Gentleman the Leader of the Opposition on the 23rd June, Government intervention would, in the opinion of my right hon. Friend, be premature at this moment. Notice to terminate the present agreement will naturally be followed by negotiations between the two sides to see if a new agreement cannot be made, and these negotiations, I understand, are now being entered upon.

During this week we had a speech from the Prime Minister in which he said that the Cabinet were considering the question of subsidising certain industries, and I would like to know whether the Cabinet has set up a Committee to consider the subsidising of the coal industry which is in such an awful state to-day?

No, Sir.

Have the Cabinet done anything to meet this problem, or are they waiting until a crisis occurs?

The right hon. Gentleman has already answered that point.

Is the right hon. Gentleman not aware that the attitude taken up by the Government of to-day is identical with that taken up in 1921, when the crash came?