Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946
Dates
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to establish public ownership and control of the coal-mining industry and certain allied activities; and for purposes connected therewith.
Citation	9 & 10 Geo. 6. c. 59
Introduced by	Minister of Fuel and Power, Manny Shinwell (Commons)
Territorial extent	Great Britain
Royal assent	12 July 1946
Commencement	1 January 1947
Other legislation
Repeals/revokes	Coal Mines Act 1930
Amended by	see text
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk

The Coal Industry Nationalisation Act of 1946 was an important law passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It made the coal industry in the United Kingdom publicly owned and controlled by the government. This means the government took over the coal mines and everything related to them.

This Act also created the National Coal Board. This new group was in charge of managing all coal mining and coal processing. The law also set up councils for people who bought coal. This Act was the first of many laws passed by the Labour government after World War II. They wanted the government to own and control important industries. Other industries that became government-owned later included electricity, railways, gas, and steel.

Why the Act Was Needed
What the Act Did
Later Changes to the Act
See also

Why the Act Was Needed

The idea for the Coal Industry Nationalisation Act came out in December 1945. It was put forward by Manny Shinwell, who was the Minister of Fuel and Power. The law was passed quickly through the House of Commons.

Some people thought the law was put together very fast. But the government needed to act quickly. The coal mining industry was in a very bad state after the war. The Labour government had promised to take control of key industries. They wanted to show they were keeping their promises.

This nationalisation was a bit different from others that came later. The people who owned the coal mines were paid back with special government bonds. This showed the miners, who were a very strong group, that the industry now belonged to the whole country. For later nationalisations, owners were paid with bonds from the new government-run companies.

What the Act Did

The Coal Industry Nationalisation Act became law on 12 July 1946. Its main goal was to put the coal mining industry under public ownership and control. It also covered other related activities.

The Act had 65 sections and four extra parts called schedules. Here are some of the main things it covered:

The National Coal Board

Sections 1–4: These parts set up the National Coal Board. They explained what the Board would do, how it would be organised, and how the Minister would have power over it. They also set up councils for coal buyers.

Transferring Mines to the Board

Sections 5–9: These sections explained how the coal mines and other related properties would be moved over to the National Coal Board. This included things like patents and existing agreements.

Paying for the Mines

Sections 10–16: These parts explained how the former owners of the mines would be paid. They talked about how the value of the mines would be decided. Special boards were set up to figure out these payments.

Other Important Details

Sections 17 & 18: These sections dealt with payments for any losses caused by the transfer of the mines.
Sections 19–25: These parts explained when and how the payments would be made to the former owners.
Sections 26–35: These sections covered how the National Coal Board would get money, how it would borrow, and how its finances would be managed.
Sections 36–45: These parts made sure that miners' pension rights were protected. They also dealt with other things like safety research and the closing down of old coal-selling plans.
Sections 46–54: These sections covered things like working conditions for employees, taxes, and how the Board would handle problems like land sinking due to mining. They also said the Board had to make an annual report.
Sections 55–65: These were general rules about how the Act would work, including how to handle information, penalties for breaking rules, and how the law applied to Scotland.

Schedules

First schedule: Listed the properties that would be transferred to the Board.
Second schedule: Explained how existing contracts would be transferred to the Board.
Third schedule: Dealt with old coal-selling rules and a drainage committee.
Fourth schedule: Listed older laws that were being cancelled by this new Act.

Later Changes to the Act

Over the years, other laws were passed that changed parts of the 1946 Act:

The Coal Industry Act 1949 changed how the National Coal Board was set up and ended some contracts.
The Miners’ Welfare Act 1952 closed down the Miners’ Welfare Commission, which looked after miners' well-being.
The Coal Industry Act 1956 also made changes.
The Coal Industry Act 1965 allowed the National Coal Board to borrow money and get loans from the government.
The Mines (Working Facilities and Support) Act 1966 brought together older laws about mining rights.
The Coal Industry Act 1971 gave the National Coal Board more powers.
The Coal Industry Act 1977 changed how the National Coal Board handled its money.
The Coal Industry Act 1987 changed the name of the National Coal Board to the British Coal Corporation.
The Coal Industry Act 1990 allowed the government to give grants (money) to the British Coal Corporation.
The Coal Industry Act 1994 created a new group called the Coal Authority. It also reorganised the coal industry, transferred everything from the British Coal Corporation, and closed down the corporation. This Act also got rid of the Domestic Coal Consumers’ Council.

Coal Industry Nationalisation Act 1946 facts for kids

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