§ MR. JOICEY (Durham, Chester-le-Street)asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, What has become of the amount of fines imposed upon the responsible persons in charge of a certain colliery in the County of Durham, at which a serious explosion took place on the 2nd of March, 1885, for neglecting the provisions of "The Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1872;" and, if he can arrange for the amount of such fines to be paid over to the treasurer of the fund established for the benefit of the widows and orphans caused by the 32 lives lost by the said explosion?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE (Mr. MATTHEWS) (Birmingham, E.)The fines in this case amounted only to a sum of £40, and were not imposed till the month of March, 1886. In the meanwhile, there had been a fund raised by voluntary effort for the widows and orphans of the men who were killed by the explosion: and the Inspectors did not, therefore, suggest that the fines should be distributed among them. Under these circumstances, the fines were, according to the Statute, paid into the Exchequer and carried to the Consolidated Fund. I am advised that they cannot now be paid out for the benefit of the sufferers.