§ MR. JOHNSON (Gateshead)On behalf of the hon. Member for Mid-Durham, I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has taken or will take steps to ensure that in the event of miner's disease (known as ankylostomiasis) arising in any coal or metal-liferous mine, a notification thereof should be forthwith sent to the medical officer of health and the mines' inspector of the district in which such mine is situate, and that the isolation of cases that may arise should be secured; and whether, if the administrative powers of the Home Office be not adequate for the purpose, he will introduce the necessary legislation.
§ THE UNDER-SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. COCHRANE,) Ayrshire, N.I have not yet learnt the results of the conferences between owners and men which were to be arranged in each district to discuss this subject generally, and until I do so any statement as to the precise steps to be taken for the prevention of the disease would be premature, but I doubt whether, from the nature of the case, it is practicable to require notification and isolation of every case of the disease. I am glad to say that no case has yet been found in a coal mine.