§ MR. BURT (Morpeth)I beg to ask the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to the refusal of a colliery manager to allow the Inspectors appointed by the workmen under General Rule 38 of the Mines Regulation Act to examine the place where a fatal accident may have happened; and whether the workmen's Inspectors are not empowered by the Act to examine such places?
§ MR. MATTHEWSI have received no official information of such an instance as the hon. Member refers to. By the 38th rule of the Coal Mines Regulation Act it is provided that an examination by or on behalf of the workmen of every and any part of the mine shall be permitted, and it is compulsory upon the owner to afford every facility for this being done at least once a month. Whether such an examination has, or has not been made, I hope that in the event of anything serious the owner would place no obstacle in the way of such inspection by the workmen.