§ LORD GEORGE HAMILTONsaid, he would beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, If it is the intention of the Government to adopt the suggestion contained in the verdict of the jury at the recent inquest at Hounslow—namely, that the Government should appoint permanent Inspectors to carry out more strictly the purposes of the Gunpowder Act?
MR. BRUCEsaid, in reply, that the Home Department had taken the suggestion referred to by the noble Lord into consideration. He had to state, however, that the accident had not been traced to any want of vigilance or to any negligence on the part of the Inspectors. As a matter of fact, the magazine in question had been visited by Colonel Young husband and by Captain Smith about three weeks before the explosion occurred, and they then reported that the state of the magazine was perfectly safe and satisfactory.