MR. T. RICHARDS (Monmouthshire, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has taken any steps to ascertain the extent to which the apparatus used by the German workmen at the Courrières collieries, France, have proved successful in exploration and rescue work after the explosion.
§ The following Questions also appeared on the Paper:—
§ MR. LEATo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to the advent at Courrières, in France, where the recent colliery disaster took place, of life-saving corps of Westphalian colliers equipped with the oxygen-breathing apparatus with which all German collieries are provided; and will he say whether collieries in Great Britain are provided with this life-saving system in case of explosions taking place; and, if not, what steps does he propose to take to see that these methods of life-saving are made compulsory.
§ MR. MUNRO FERGUSON (Leith Burghs)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will cause inquiry to be made into the organisation of the Westphalian Miners Salvage Corps, with a view to ascertain whether some similar system to cope with mining disasters is applicable to the requirements of British coalfields.
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GLADSTONE,) Leeds, W.The question of the provision of life-saving apparatus, and generally of facilitating the work of rescue in the case of accidents in mines, has engaged the attention of the Department for some time, and I have decided to include it among the subjects to be referred to the Royal Commission on mining which will shortly be appointed. The experience of the German rescue corps at Courrières will, no doubt, afford valuable information, and I am taking steps to obtain a Report on this and other points connected with the disaster.