§ MR. BURT (Morpeth)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he has noticed that Mr. Dickinson, Inspector of Mines, and Mr. Maconochie, advocate, in their recently published Report of the inquiry into the Udston Colliery explosion, strongly condemn the Scotch "gauze safety lamp,"stating" that it does not satisfy the conditions met with in such a mine as the Udston; "and, whether, as this same lamp is declared in the Report of the Royal Commission on accidents in mines to be one that "can scarcely be regarded as a safety lamp at all," he will take steps to call the attention of colliery owners to the unreliability of the said lamp, which is largely used in the mines of Scotland?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) () Birmingham, E.Yes; I have seen the statement in question. A year ago I issued a Circular calling the attention of mineowners to the recommendations of the Commissioners, and to the necessity of a safety lamp being so constructed that it might be safely carried against any inflammable air current likely to be met with. I am consulting the Inspector of the district whether there is any necessity for issuing a further special Circular.