§ MR. DAVID THOMAS (Merthyr Tydvil)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been called to the Report of Mr. Robson, the Mines Inspector of the South Wales District, for 1887, in which he says that the fatalities from falls of roof and sides were "very excessive," and could not be accounted for by the inferiority of the roofs and greater "squeeze" in the South Wales coalfield, and to the paragraph in Mr. Robson's last Report that—
After two years' experience in this district, I am convinced that the supervision of the colliers' working places, where the majority of the falls occur, is not all that can be desired. The supervision is, I believe, generally given, but it is of too cursory a nature, &c.;and whether, considering that the ratio of fatalities to persons employed in South Wales is double that in the North of England, and that the number of collieries under the inspection of Mr. Robson is 50 per cent. more than the numberunder the charge of the Inspectors in the Newcastle and Durham districts, he will consider the desirability of appointing a few experienced workmen as sub-Inspectors, to assist the Inspectors in South Wales, with a view to securing a more strict observance of the 21st General Rule of "The Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1887"?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. MATTHEWS,) Birmingham, E.I have no reason to believe that the Inspectors are unmindful of the Rule providing that no persons shall be allowed to work alone as a collier in the face of the workings until he has had two years' experience of such work. On the contrary, at their last general meeting it formed the subject of discussion. No complaints have reached me that the Rule is disregarded. If the hon. Member will bring to my notice any instance of disregard I will do all in my power, by issuing instructions to the Inspectors, to secure, as far as possible, its proper observance.