§ *MR. HOOPER (Dudley)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether an official of a recognised trade union, to which a workman belonged at the time of his death by accident, can attend the inquest as the representative of the deceased if requested to do so by his personal representatives or next of kin; and, if not, whether he will instruct coroners to grant the requisite permission.
§ *MR. GLADSTONEI have of course no power to regulate rights of audience in any court, but under the provisions of Section 21 (2) of the Factory Act and Section 48 (8) of the Coal Mines Act the relatives of a person who has met his death by accident in a factory or mine are empowered to attend the inquest and, either personally or by agent, to examine witnesses, subject to the order of the coroner. I know of no reason to prevent an official of a trade union acting as such agent at the request of the relatives, and I am informed that it is, in fact, the practice of nearly all, if not all, coroners to give permission to such representatives and to afford them every facility to elicit any special point, and to accept their assistance in ascertaining the true facts of the case.
§ MR. J. WARD (Stoke-on-Trent)Is not the right hon. Gentleman aware that there are stipulations in the Workmen's Compensation Acts authorising the appearance of the agents appointed by relatives, and will he instruct the coroners' courts to bear that in mind?
§ *MR. GLADSTONEI am aware of that, but I have no knowledge of any cases where coroners have refused to give effect to the provisions referred to.