HC Deb 15 December 1911 vol 32 cc2701-3
Sir WALTER MENZIES

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he would give the number of men employed, the total number of accidents, and the number of fatal accidents in the works of Cammell, Laird, and Company, Limited, Birkenhead; John Brown and Company, Limited, Glasgow; and Armstrong, Mitchell, and Company, Limited, Newcastle-on-Tyne, respectively?

Mr. WEDGWOOD

asked what was the total number of men and boys employed in the shipyards of Messrs. Cammell, Laird; Vickers, Son, and Maxim; John Brown and Company; and Armstrong, Whitworth, respectively; and how many had in each yard been either killed or injured in the last two years?

Mr. LANSBURY

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he would state the total number of men and boys employed in Messrs. Armstrong, Whitworth, and Company's shipyard at Newcastle, and the number employed at Messrs. Cammell, Laird, and Company's shipyard at Birkenhead, in each case giving figures for the shipyard only; and the total number of accidents in each yard during the past two years, showing those which were serious enough to necessitate absence from work, or partial or total disablement, together with the number of fatal accidents?

Mr. EUGENE WASON

Can the right hon. Gentleman give statistics for the same time with reference to the Thames Ironworks Company?

The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. McKenna)

Before giving the figures asked for in respect of the different firms mentioned in the questions, I must explain that the figures which I gave the other day for Cammell, Laird, and Co., in reply to the hon. Member for Bow, were, as I have since found, the figures for the whole of their works, and not for the shipbuilding yard only. I should also say that the figures available in the department of persons employed in shipbuilding yards do not relate to the present year, but to the last year for which returns were made by the firms, that is, 1907 in the first three cases, and 1904 in the last case; and further, I must warn hon. Members that the figures of persons employed cannot be regarded as strictly comparable, as the Department cannot be certain that the same operations are carried on in the shipbuilding yards in each case. The figures are as follows:—

  • Cammell, Laird and Co.: Number employed, 1,601; number of accidents in 1910 and 1911, 708, of which ten were fatal.
  • Armstrong (Elswick): Number employed, 3,917; number of accidents, 439, of which one was fatal.
  • Brown and Co. (Glasgow): Number employed, 3,735; number of accidents, 501, of which eight were fatal.
  • Vickers, Son, and Maxim (Barrow): Number employed, 3,836; number of accidents, 1,061, of which three were fatal.
The return of accidents made to the Factory Department do not distinguish between cases of partial and cases of total disablement. No accident, however, is reportable unless it causes, in the certain classes of accidents, disablement for at least one day, and in other classes of accidents, disablement for a week. I have written to my hon. Friend to explain that it is practically impossible to give comparable figures for the Thames Ironworks Company.

Mr. LANSBURY

Will the right hon. Gentleman make further inquiries respecting the yard at Birkenhead with a view to ascertaining how many of the accidents have been due to bad lighting, and could he arrange that the inspector should visit the yard at night to see the conditions of the lighting?

Mr. McKENNA

Yes. I think the suggestion of the hon. Member is a very reasonable one. I will take care that, steps are taken in the direction indicated.

Mr. CLYNES

Does the inspector in his report give information as to the cause of these accidents generally? If not, will the right hon. Gentleman consider the advisability of taking steps to receive such information?

Mr. McKENNA

I think the information includes that. Of course, a special inquiry is held where an accident of a very grave character is reported.

Mr. HARRY LAWSON

Is the right hon. Gentleman aware that the proportion of accidents at the Thames Ironworks Company, especially as regards deaths, is very much smaller?

Mr. McKENNA

The figures for the Thames Ironworks Company cannot be compared with the others. It depends so much on the particular kind of work done.

Mr. HARRY LAWSON

I am talking about the figures as they exist.

Mr. McKENNA

For the class of work? I will look into the figures.