MR. LLEWELLYN WILLIAMS (Carmarthen District)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that Mr. Hugh Johnstone, who has been appointed chief inspector of mines for the Swansea district, has no knowledge of the Welsh language, and that the majority of the colliers in the Swansea district use Welsh as their ordinary speech; whether, before making the appointment, he had his attention directed to Section 39 (1) of the Coal Mines Regulation Act, 1887, 771 which enacted that in such appointments in Wales and Monmouthshire preference should be given to persons having a knowledge of the Welsh language, and, if so, why that provision has been ignored in the present appointment; and whether, in view of the feeling entertained by all Welshmen, irrespective of party, on this matter, he can see his way to reconsider the appointment
§ * MR. GLADSTONEMy hon. friend is under a misapprehension in supposing that Mr. Johnstone has been appointed to take charge of the Swansea district. I have not filled the vacancy in that district by promoting an assistant inspector, but by transferring to Swansea Mr. W. N. Atkinson, one of the senior and most experienced of the existing inspectors, who is at present in charge of the Staffordshire district. In making the appointment I gave full consideration to the provision in the Act to which the hon. Member refers, which requires preference to be given to Welsh-speaking persons among candidates "otherwise equally qualified." In my judgment the South Wales coalfield is the most important of all, because of its particular liability to great disasters. In this matter, therefore, a very direct responsibility rests upon myself, and I felt it my duty to appoint an inspector whose standing and well-known experience specially qualify him for this post.
MR. LLEWELLYN WILLIAMSIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the three inspectors on the staff at present, Mr. Pearson of Scotland, Mr. Matthews of Liverpool, and Mr. Lewis, have passed their examinations, have been for several years on the staff, and are perfectly qualified to fill this post?
§ * MR. GLADSTONEI quite follow my hon. friend, but I cannot add anything more to what I have said. In my judgment the best qualifications are standing experience and ability, and without disrespect to the gentlemen named, Mr. Attkinson's qualifications are considerably higher than those of anybody else. That being so, I felt it my duty to the district in question to appoint a man qualified by experience and ability for the duties of the post.
§ * MR. GLADSTONEHe does not know Welsh, but I am advised that, although it is quite desirable that Welshmen should be appointed as far as possible, yet so far as the necessary duties are concerned a knowledge of Welsh is not essential.
§ MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAM (Glamorganshire, Rhondda)Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the gentleman he has appointed to this most dangerous district has, according to his own admission, no experience whatever of the Welsh system of mining, and no acquaintance whatever with any Welsh colliery at all?
§ * MR. GLADSTONENo, Sir. I am not aware of that; but after the most careful inquiry and consultation with mining engineers of practical experience of the subject I am quite satisfied that Mr. Atkinson is the best qualified man.
§ MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAMSeeing that the right hon. Gentleman is not aware of this important fact, will he kindly stay the appointment until he has ascertained whether this man knows anything about the Welsh system of mining?
§ * MR. LUPTON (Lincolnshire, Sleaford)Will the right hon. Gentleman say whether South Wales coalfields are not. particularly liable to explosions from coal dust; whether Mr. Atkinson has any particular knowledge of that subject, and whether in that respect he is well qualified to deal with mines of the character of the Welsh coal mines?
§ MR. GLADSTONEYes, Sir.
§ MR. WILLIAM ABRAHAMMay I ask this Gentleman, if he is allowed to give an opinion, to explain the difference in Welsh between—
§ * MR. SPEAKEROrder! order! The hon. Member is not entitled to ask a private Member a Question.
§ * MR. BRACE (Glamorganshire, S.)Arising out of this Question or discussion; may I submit to the Home Secretary 773 that this matter is so important to us—and we speak on behalf of 150,000 Welsh miners—that if he cannot agree to the reconsideration of it, we should have the opportunity of having the House adjourned later in the week, in order to debate the question fully.
§ MR. GLADSTONEI would point out to my hon. friend that the debate on the Home Office Vote is bound to come on in the next two or three weeks, when there will be ample opportunity for a discussion of this very important question. For my part I make no complaint.
§ * MR. BRACEasked whether the Home Secretary would defer the confirmation of the appointment until after the Home Office Vote was taken, so that they might give their reasons to him for accepting their opinion on the matter as that of men who really did know something of the needs and requirements of the miners of South Wales.
COLONEL HERBERT (Monmouthshire, S.)also asked the right hon. Gentleman to ascertain whether the officials of the Home Office were aware of the difference between the coal mines of Wales and those in the North of England and Scotland.
§ MR. GLADSTONEsaid he had come to a decision after careful and close examination, and he could not delay the appointment.