§ Mr. ELLIS DAVIESasked the Home Secretary whether he is now in a position to say when the Commission on Mines will make the promised inquiry into the working of quarries?
§ Mr. MASTERMANThe Royal Commission on Mines have not yet completed that part of their inquiry which relates to coal mines, but the Secretary of State understands that only one or two important questions are still outstanding. The Commission was constituted primarily to inquire into questions affecting coal mines, and it was anticipated that some change in its constitution would be necessary to enable it to deal with metalliferous mines and quarries. To expedite the latter part of the inquiry the Secretary of State proposes to recommend the appointment of a separate Commission, consisting of a nucleus of the members of the Coal Mines Commission with the addition of representatives having a special knowledge of metalliferous mining and quarrying.