§ MR. SAMUEL SMITH (Flintshire)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the dangerous condition of various disused quarries on Halkyn Mountain, Flintshire, notably the quarries known as Cop-y-frân, Bryn-y-garreg, and Hagnallt respectively, owing to the imperfect state of the fencing around them; and whether the fences which have been placed round some of those quarries by the Crown authorities have repeatedly been removed, or partially removed, by wilful persons, whom the police have not as yet been able to bring to custody; if so, whether steps will be taken by the county police authorities in future to put a stop to the wilful damage to the fences, and ensure the safety of the public using the mountain paths.
§ * MR. RITCHIEI have made inquiry with regard to the quarries mentioned in the question, and am informed that two of them are in a dangerous state through damage to the fencing. There appears to be some doubt as to the manner in which the damage has been caused, and the Police Report which I have received states that in some cases, at any rate, it has been caused by cattle. The matter is not one in which I have any jurisdiction, but I will communicate with the Office of Woods upon the subject.