HC Deb 14 August 1890 vol 348 cc972-3
MR. CONYBEARE (Cornwall, Cam-borne)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the revised list of mines, referred to in the last paragraph of Mr. Pinching's Report for the Cornwall and Devon district as being appended thereto, is not published with the Report; whether he will state how many mines were, during the year 1889, working in his district, and how many of the mines committed to his charge were during that year personally visited by Mr. Pinching; and whether, in those that he visited personally, any special observations or inquiries were made by him with reference to the sanitary conditions of the mines, and the prevalence among the miners of the miners' disease?

MR. MATTHEWS

For reasons of economy it was decided last year that the lists of mines in the various districts should not be laid before Parliament and should only be published for sale. The lists can be obtained from the Queen's Printers or any bookseller. The number of mines working in Mr. Pinching's district was 146, including 30 small stone mines about Swanage, working on an average three men each, and 38 mines working less than 13 men each. The Inspector was unable to say offhand how many were visited personally by him, but the great majority were visited either by him, or by his colleague while he was on sick leave. Observation and inquiries were made as to the ventilation of the mines; but no complaint reached the Inspector as to miners' disease, or any insanitary conditions in the mines, and no special inquiry was directed to those subjects.

MR. CONYBEARE

In reference to my second question, it would be useful if such an appendix could be made to the Report. In regard to the third paragraph, is it not the fact that Mr. Pinching has remarked that a certain number of the mines are only small, but that smaller mines are as much in need of careful supervision as the larger mines? Will the right hon. Gentleman give instruction that a record of the mines visited during the year should be kept?

Mr. MATTHEWS

Certainly, Sir.