asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number of persons now employed at each pit sunk and each drift driven in the county of Durham covering the last 25 years, in accordance with his letter to the hon. Member for Spennymoor, dated 18th April, 1947; the number of pits closed in the county of Durham over the same period; and the total number of persons affected.

I am sending my hon. Friend a list showing the number of wage earners now on the books of each of the 17 coalmines in the county of Durham which have started operations during the last 25 years. During the same period operations ceased at 41 mines in the county. At each of these mines 100 or more wage earners were employed in 1921. At that date the total number of wage earners so employed was 18,798.

Is the Minister aware that the information given on the last occasion was rather conflicting, that in one case I know 700 to 800 men were thrown out of work and, where a drift has been started, only 150 men have been reinstated who had lost their jobs?

I hope the reply I have given will clarify the position.