HC Deb 31 October 1884 vol 293 cc653-4
SIR EDWARD WATKIN

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether nine vessels loaded with dynamite are moored in a Thames creek off Canvey Island, and are guarded by a small number of Coastguard men who have other duties to perform; and, who is responsible for the control of the storage of this explosive matter?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT

This matter to which my hon. Friend's Question refers has engaged my attention for some time. I was quite aware of the danger of these stores, and I have requested the Local Authority to take charge of them; but I have not succeeded. I have induced the Admiralty to take some charge of them—though they are not responsible for them—through the Coastguard. These being floating vessels, the men on land can do but little. When my hon. Friend asks who is responsible for the storage of explosive matter, I am sorry to say I cannot answer that Question. I will refer to that matter, if I may be allowed to say a word about it, because a good deal of attention has been given to it lately, and some complaints have been made of the action which it is supposed I am inclined to take upon it. The real truth is, that the Explosives Acts were drawn mainly with a view to prevent mischief from explosions of dynamite to neighbouring houses and persons, and they were pointed in that direction; but recently a danger which does not seem to have been sufficiently contemplated has arisen, and that is the theft of dynamite from these stores. All over the country a great number of stores were built which have been carefully surveyed, certified, and inspected. A great quantity of dynamite was left in these stores, and no one was there to take care of them. There was no reason why anyone with a bad purpose should not go in the night time with a cart and take away as much dynamite as he liked simply at the cost of knocking off a padlock. It seems to me that is a very unsafe condition of things; and it also seems to me that persons who engage in a dangerous trade of this kind, and who keep magazines, ought to have some responsibility for the safe custody of them. I know very well that there is a great alarm on the part of the trade that this would be very costly and injurious to them. While this circumstance must, of course, be considered, yet the paramount interest in this matter is the interest of the public. All the inspection and Inspectors, and everything else, are a farce, if you take no precautions to guard the places where this dynamite is kept, and if any unauthorized person can go and carry it off in any quantity he likes. At Limerick, in the dead of the night, the whole contents of a store, amounting to 595 lbs. of dynamite, were carried off; and, again, there was a theft of dynamite recently at Greenock. I am considering as carefully as I can about the interests of the trade, and how to provide some better means of protection to prevent those stores being left entirely unguarded.

SIR EDWARD WATKIN

May I ask the right hon. and learned Gentleman if he does not consider that it would be better to place all the stores of explosive matter afloat under the control of the Admiralty?

MR. HEALY

was understood to ask whether the right hon. and learned Gentleman would take care that legislation on subjects of this kind would not be hurried through the House without ample consideration?

SIR WILLIAM HARCOURT

I shall be glad to avail myself of any facilities which the hon. Member may offer to pass any Bill which I may contemplate.

MR. HEALY

I did not oppose the Explosives Act.