§ (1) The Secretary of State may appoint any fit persons to be inspectors (under whatever title he may from time to time fix) of mines, and assign them their duties, and may award them such salaries as the Treasury may approve and may appoint a chief inspector with an office in London, and may remove any such inspector: Provided always, that in the appointment of inspectors of mines in Wales and Monmouthshire, among candidates otherwise equally qualified, persons having a knowledge of the Welsh language shall be preferred.
§ (2) Notice of the appointment of every such inspector shall be published in the London Gazette.
1299§ (3) Every such inspector is referred to in this Act as an inspector, and the inspector of a division means the inspector who is for the time being assigned to the division, district, or portion of the United Kingdom with reference to which the term is used.
§ (4) Any person who practises, or acts, or is a partner of any person who practises or acts as a land agent, or mining engineer, or as a manager, viewer, agent, or valuer of mines, or arbitrator in any difference arising between owners, agents, or managers of mines, or is a miners' agent or a mine owner (whether the mine is one to which this Act applies or not), shall not act as an inspector of mines under this Act, and no inspector shall be a partner or have any interest, direct or indirect, in any mine in the district under his charge.
§ Sir CLIFFORD CORYI beg to move, in Sub-section (1), after the word "persons" ["the Secretary of State may appoint any fit persons"], to insert the words, "who are holders of first-class certificates of competency under this Act, or, in the case of second grade inspectors who are holders of second-class certificates Tinder this Act."
I move this Amendment in order to secure some sort of guarantee that the persons appointed as inspectors are qualified for their positions. I think it is a reasonable thing that they should show that they are qualified in some way or other.
§ Colonel HICKMANI beg to second the Amendment.
§ Mr. MASTERMANThis point was raised in Committee by the hon. Baronet, and I would ask him to do the same thing now that he did then, that is, not to press it. The qualifications of the inspectors are dealt with in the regulations to be issued, and these are very fully discussed from time to time. The regulations at present in operation make it explicit that the qualifications for a first-class inspector must be a first-class certificate. In regard to the second-class inspector, we have done better than the hon. Baronet actually desires, because we not only say that he must hold a second-class certificate, but if he has a first-class certificate preference must be given him. These regulations are always in force and are open to discussion.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
1300§ Mr. ADAMSONI beg to move in Subsection (1), after the word "persons" ["The Secretary of State may appoint any fit persons"], to insert the words "who have been nominated by the Board of Mining examinations."
We are anxious to lift the appointment of inspectors out of the region of doubt and suspicion, so that they will give satisfaction to all those engaged in the coal trade. I do not think there can be any doubt but that the old system was unsatisfactory, and I think that social and political influence had a great deal to do with the appointments made. That is not a good feeling to get abroad in regard to these appointments. We wish to see these appointments open to the best men, whether they be the sons of working miners or not, and we want to see the most competent persons appointed to these important positions. I think the most competent body to nominate the inspectors is the Board of Mining Examinations, which is created under the Bill. We are very hopeful, from what was said by the Under-Secretary during the Committee stage, that he will accept this Amendment.
§ Mr. RICHARDSI beg to second the Amendment.
§ Mr. MASTERMANThis question was raised on the Committee stage, and I made a promise then which holds good now, and which I shall be glad to repeat again in a public way. We cannot put in these words, because these words detached from the Bill would make very little sense. This can be done by regulation issued by the Secretary of State. I made a promise, after a very full Debate, partly in order to meet the suggestion of my hon. Friend, that directly we established the general form of the mining examinations new regulations enforcing the system he desires would be issued. That is, that nomination in the first case shall be made, not as at present, by a Committee of the Home Office, but by the Board of Mining Examinations, which itself includes representatives of the managers, the coal-owners, and the men. That promise holds good, and I give a guarantee that it shall be put into force.
§ Sir A. MARKHAMI raised this point at considerable length in the Committee, and I want to know now, is the declaration of the Under-Secretary quite clear and specific that no inspectors will be appointed unless they are recommended by the Board of Examinations? The point is 1301 this. Is a man to be appointed through the Board of Examinations, or is the Home Office to have the right to take a man that may have got a second or third-class certificate thirty years ago and appoint him? What I object to is that inspectors are appointed by the Home Office without acknowledge or qualification.
§ Mr. MASTERMANWhat the hon. Gentleman objects to is this. Various names were sent in to the Home Office of those considered competent to sit for examination. These were chosen by a small Committee of the Home Office. The Home Office itself wishes very strongly, and the wish was expressed by all parties in the Committee, that that somewhat invidious work of selecting those suited to examination should be done by the Board of Mining Examinations. The method of procedure we propose to adopt is that when inspectors are going to be appointed the names will be sent in not to us, but to the Board of Mining Examinations, and that body will choose the men.
§ Sir A. MARKHAMThat is quite satisfactory.
§ Mr. ADAMSONI am well satisfied also with the explanation, and I ask leave to withdraw the Amendment.
§ Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
§ Powers and Duties of Inspectors.