HC Deb 11 May 1897 vol 49 cc197-8
MR. DAVID THOMAS (Merthyr Tydvil)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he can state when the summaries of statistics relating to mines and quarries for 1896 will be issued; whether he is aware that they were issued last year on 13th March; and if he is further aware that much of the value and interest attaching to them is lost by issuing them at so late a date after the period to which they relate?

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEY,) Lancashire, Blackpool

The summaries ought to have been issued mime days ago, but there has been delay on the part of the lithographers who are printing the plans. A promise, however, has been given that they will be issued this afternoon. The hon. Member is mistaken as to the date of issue last year; it was not March the 13th, hut June the 24th, the delay being due to the difficulty of getting in the quarry returns which were appearing in the summaries for the first time. Every effort is made to issue the summaries at the earliest possible date, but some of the quarry returns are not due till the 1st March, and I do not think it would be possible to issue them much sooner.