Britain: An official handbook > 1956

INDUSTRY 169
the Coal Industry Nationalization Act received the Royal Assent. On 1st January
1947 the assets of the industry were vested in the National Coal Board, which was
appointed by the Minister of Fuel and Power and became responsible for the
industry s management. Under the Act, the Board consisted of a chairman and
eight other members, but this provision was amended by the Coal Industry Act,
I949» and the Board now consists of a chairman and not fewer than eight or more
than 11 other members; the number of full-time members must not exceed eight
and there must be one, and may be two, deputy chairmen.
The Board’s main duties are:
(1) to work and get the coal in Great Britain to the exclusion of any other
person;
(2) to secure the efficient development of the coalmining industry; and
(3) to make supplies of coal available of such qualities and sizes and in such
quantities and at such prices as may seem to it best calculated to further
the public interest.
The Board is also charged with securing the safety, health and welfare of its
employees and the benefit of their practical knowledge and experience. The Board’s
policies must also be directed to ensure that its revenues shall be not less than its
outgoings properly chargeable to revenue account and taking one year with another.
There are minor exceptions to the Board’s exclusive monopoly to work coal in
Britain: for example, it may license private enterprise to work small mines in which
the number of underground workers does not greatly exceed 30. Production on
opencast sites, which had been the responsibility of the Ministry of Fuel and
Power, was transferred to the Board on 1st April 1952.
The Board is responsible for its own regional organization. The collieries, num¬
bering about 900, are grouped into 50 Areas which are the basic units for commer¬
cial management. The size of the Areas varies according to geological, geographical
and other technical considerations. The Areas are grouped into nine Divisions
which roughly correspond to the main coal-bearing regions (see p. 170). A Divi¬
sional Board for each Division supervises and co-ordinates the work of the Areas
within the Division, formulates divisional policy, and is answerable to the National
Coal Board, which is responsible for questions of national policy, finance and the
co-ordinating of major schemes of development. The day-to-day work of running
the collieries is under the direction of colliery managers.
Two Coal Consumers’ Councils have been set up under the 1946 Act: the
Industrial Coal Consumers' Council, members of which represent consumers, mer¬
chants and suppliers of coal, coke and manufactured fuel for industrial and other
purposes, involving supply in bulk; and the Domestic Coal Consumers' Council,
members of which represent similar groups concerned with coal for domestic use.
The most important function of the Councils, which are responsible to the Minister
of Fuel and Power, is the general consideration of the commercial arrangements and
activities of the National Coal Board, to ensure that the monopoly in the industry
set up by the 1946 Act shall have the maximum practical regard for consumers’
interests.
The Coal Industry Nationalization Act requires the National Coal Board to pub¬
lish an annual report and statement of accounts which are laid before Parliament.
At the end of 1947 (its first year) the National Coal Board showed a deficit of
£23-3 million, after paying compensation to the former mineowners and interest
on borrowed capital. In 1948, 1949 and 1950 there were surpluses of £1 -7 million,
£9-5 million and £8-3 million respectively. There were deficits of £1 -8 million and
£8-2 million in 1951 and 1952, a surplus of £0-4 million in 1953 and a deficit of