§ * SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider if it is possible to give additional details of cases of disablement among coal miners, such as those obtainable from the Miners' Permanent Relief Funds and from the Central Association, which deals with nine English societies composing the Association and representing some 300,000 members; whether he has any official information to the effect that the accidents so shown are more numerous than those included in the Reports of the Inspectors of Mines; and whether he will arrange to give to the Inspectors of Mines power to report all cases of smart money and compensation paid by the collieries in their districts, and to distinguish 785 between accidents occurring to coal miners under sixteen and under twenty or twenty-one years of age.
§ * THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. RITCHIE,) CroydonWhile the figures of fatal accidents in coal mines are, I believe, complete and accurate, it has long been recognised that the returns of non-fatal accidents, however useful for administrative purposes, are of little or no statistical value. The Act requires serious accidents to be reported, but leaves it to each mine owner to decide for himself what constitutes a serious accident. The whole subject of the reporting of accidents in mines is under the consideration of a small Departmental Committee, which I appointed some months ago, and I understand that the Committee hope to make some recommendations which will put the matter on a more satisfactory footing.
§ * SIR CHARLES DILKEAnd as to the last paragraph of the Question?
§ * MR. RITCHIENo doubt the Committee will consider the last point raised in the right hon. Gentleman's Question.