National Coal Board
Encyclopedia : N : NA : NAT : National Coal Board
The National Coal Board (NCB) was the nationalised British coal mining company. It was created in 1947 as part of Clement Attlee's Labour Government's nationalisation of industries. Coal mining employed over 700,000 people in 1950, but successive governments reduced the size of the industry. Closures were originally concentrated in Scotland, but then moved into the North-East, Lancashire and South Wales, and then into all the other coalfields in the 1980s. The NCB ceased to exist in 1994. By the time of privatisation, only 15 pits were left in production.
By 1984, the British mining industry was the most productive in the world. Despite its long-standing success, demand for British coal was frustrated by the huge subsidies that other governments gave to their coal industries. Germany subsidised coal by four times as much and France by three times as much in 1984.
History
Coal mines had been taken into government control during the First and Second World Wars. A royal commission in 1919 gave R.H. Tawney, Sidney Webb and Sir Leo Chiozza Money the opportunity publicy to advocate nationalisation. Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government nationalised many industries, and the NCB was created on 1st January 1947.The NCB suffered three strikes. The 1972 and 1974 strikes were both over pay and both saw success for the NUM. The Miner's strike of 1984-5 ended in defeat and is still bitterly resented in some parts of Britain.
NCB railways
The NCB operated extensive industrial railways at their collieries, employing steam traction until the late 1970s/early 1980s.
Coal Research Establishment
The NCB's research establishment at Stoke Orchard in Gloucestershire was founded in 1950 with Jacob Bronowski as Director of Research. It closed following privatisation of the coal mining industry.See also
External links
- [National Coal Mining Museum for England]
- [Durham Mining Museum list of pits in Northern England]
- [North Staffs pics]
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