§ MR. SNAPE (Lancashire, S.E., Hey-wood)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that, at the recent examination for the colliery managers' certificate, a working collier who passed the examination was refused the certificate of competency on the ground that ho had not actually served as a deputy, though he had acquired the requisite experience through having worked for many years both at the coal face and afterwards in the stall as head chargeman; whether he is also aware that it is difficult for a working collier, without having a certificate of competency, to obtain employment as deputy; and whether, therefore, he will arrange that future examinations shall take into account the practical knowledge and experience of the candidate, instead of requiring service in a position that a working collier cannot always obtain?
§ MR. ASQUITHIn the absence of anything to point to the particular case to which the question relates, I can only refer my hon. Friend to the qualifications prescribed by the Examination Board, which will be found in page 23 of the Report of 1892 of Inspector Stokes, and from which it will be seen that proof of regular engagement in connection with actual colliery management is required from applicants for first-class certificate, but not from applicants for second-class certificate. This is in accordance with the Act 50 & 51 Vict., c. 58, s. 24 (2). With regard to the second paragraph, I am informed there is no such difficulty. A large proportion of the 1803 deputies in the district do not hold any certificate. The making of Rules as to the qualifications of applicants is by the Statute the duty of the Examination Board, and I have no power to interfere in the matter.