§ MR. ELLIS DAVIES (Carnarvonshire, Eifion)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether 1435 his attention has bean called to the fact that there have been five fatal accidents in the slate quarries of North Carnarvonshire since the 1st January this year; and whether he will appoint a small committee to inquire as to the working of slate quarries, with a view to the amendment of the Quarries Act and the regulations made there under.
§ MR. GLADSTONEI regret to say that it is the case that there have been five fatal accidents in the Carnarvonshire slate quarries since the beginning of the year, four of them being due to falls of rock. During the whole of 1906, however, there was only one fatal accident in these quarries, and in each of the years previous to that only three. There seems no reason to suppose that the increase is other than temporary, but the inspector is making further inquiry. He thinks it may be partly attributable to the long and severe frost making the rock more dangerous. The whole question of the amendment of the Quarries Act and the special rules there under will be considered by me in connection with any legislation as to mines and quarries that may result from the inquiry by the Royal Commission now sitting.