§ MR. PHILIP STANHOPE (Wednesbury)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether, in view of Her Majesty's Government having promised to procure similar information from Foreign Countries, he will cause inquiries to be made through Her Majesty's Inspectors of Mines with respect to the royalties or mine rents paid in the United Kingdom, so as to be able to lay upon the Table of the House a Return showing the scale of royalties which exists in different parts of the United Kingdom, and also giving information as to any penalties or restrictions which are placed upon the lessees of mines by the owners of minerals?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)The Inspectors of Mines have no authority to make the inquiries suggested, and no special means of obtaining the information desired, which could only be supplied voluntarily by the owners or lessees of mines. The time required for making such inquiries would seriously interfere with the duties which the Inspectors were especially appointed to discharge. The Home Office has no means of ascertaining what penalties or restrictions are placed upon lessees by owners of minerals. These are matters of private arrangement. A list of any penalties 1256 or restrictions imposed by Acts of Parliament could be supplied and laid upon the Table.