HC Deb 11 January 1894 vol 20 cc1345-6
MR. HANBURY

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for War whether he is aware that the Home Office in the case of a private firm require that in a group of buildings the compartments of which are divided by brick walls, three feet thick, with an intervening machinery (non-danger) compartment, the limit of explosive in each press house is 75 to 60 lbs. and of two producing workmen, exclusive of foreman and servers, of which not more than two may be at any one time in any one compartment; whether he is aware that these Regulations are enforced in private cam press houses where the same work is being carried on as that in operation at the time of the recent explosion at Waltham Abbey; whether the Home Office Inspector had called the attention of the War Office to these requirements; whether, if so, any steps were taken to secure similar protection for life at the Waltham factory; whether it is the fact that at Waltham Abbey the two cam press houses were of timber, separated only by a waterwheel, there being no intervening protecting wall or space; and whether, under such circumstances, they counted as separate houses, and how many workmen were in these at the time of the explosion, and how many men and how many pounds of explosive were allowed to be in each of them at any one time by the Regulations of the factory? At the same time, may I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether it is the custom to work day and night at the Waltham Government Factory; what is the necessity for this in time of peace; what reserve of machinery and buildings exists in case of an emergency requiring extra production; and whether night work is in all respects as safe for the manufacture of explosives at this factory as day work?

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I have appointed a competent Committee, which will include a representative of the Home Office, to investigate the causes and circumstances of the recent accident at Waltham Abbey, and until that Committee reports I would rather make no further statement upon the subject.

MR. HAXBLTRY

I hope my right hon. Friend will arrange that the Committee shall report before the Estimates come on for consideration.

MR. CAMPBELL-BANNERMAN

I should imagine that it would not be a very long inquiry.