§ MR. W. ABRAHAM (Glamorgan, Rhondda)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, in the Glamorganshire, Carmarthenshire, and Brecon shire Collieries included in Mr. Inspector Robson's District of South Wales, the old Special Rules for collieries under the Mines Regulation Act, 508 1872, are still in force; if so, why; and, if not, what are the Special Rules now applicable to those collieries since the passing of the Coal Mines, &c. Regulation Act, 1887; and, how soon may it be expected that the New Rules will be finally settled and established; and, when established, will he order that they should be translated into the Welsh language and posted up at the collieries with the English Rules?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)The old Special Rules under the Act of 1872 are no longer by law in force in the collieries referred to; because, after the passing of the Coal Mines, &c. Regulation Act of 1887, new Special Rules were submitted by the owners under Section 52 of that Act, and, by the lapse of 40 days without objection, they were, under the Statute, established as the Special Rules for those collieries. Since then I have proposed to the owners certain Amendments of those new Special Rules, The proposed Amendments were objected to by the owners, and, consequently, two arbitrations have taken place. The award in one case is now ready, and in the other nearly so. As soon as the necessary arrangements for payment of the costs are completed with the Treasury Solicitor, the award now ready—that is, for East Glamoganshire—will be published. The Government have met the cost of a Welsh abstract of the Coal Mines Act, including the General Rules; and it appears to me that the cost of translating the Special Rules should be met by the owners, by whom they are proposed.