§ MR. D. A. THOMAS (Merthyr Tydvil)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been drawn to the verdict of the jury in the inquest on the bodies of the seven men who were killed owing to the snapping of the rope of the cage by which they were descending the shaft of the Snailbeach Quartz Mine, Shropshire, on the 6th instant, namely, that the rope had not been properly looked after and had been used too long; whether he is aware that it was given in evidence that the rope had not been changed for eight years, and had not been repaired; and that John Lee, a mining expert of 30 years' experience, swore the rope was very badly corroded internally, and was not capable of carrying its own weight; and if he can state what steps the Home Office propose to take in the matter?
§ MR. ASQUITHI have not yet received the necessary information to enable me to answer my hon. Friend's question, and would be glad if he would put it down again for some other day.