§ Mr. GEORGE ROBERTSasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been directed to the fact that six men have been seriously injured by accidents which have taken place within the past two months at Postlethwaite's Iron Ore Mine, Moor Row, Cumberland; whether he is aware that local opinion attributes these accidents in some degree to lack of competent management of the mine; whether he is also aware that the present manager holds no mining manager's certificate; and whether he will have representations 709 made to the proprietors of the mine with the view to the taking of the steps necessary to prevent the recurrence of such accidents?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Churchill)I have made inquiry, and according to the report which has been furnished to me only one reportable accident has occurred at, these mines during the past two months. This accident, which injured three persons, one of them seriously, was caused by one of the injured persons boring into some remnants of dynamite left from a previous charge. The inspector informs me, that he is not aware that local opinion has attributed any accidents at these mines to lack of competent management, and that he himself has no reason to doubt the competency of the management of the mine which has a good record as regards accidents. The mine is under the Metalliferous Mines Act, which makes no provision for the grant of certificates of competency to act as manager.