HC Deb 23 November 1911 vol 31 cc1392-3

(1) Every mine shall be under one manager, who shall be responsible for the control, management, and direction of the mine, and the owner or agent of every such mine shall nominate himself or some other person to be the manager of such mine.

(2) If any mine is worked without there being such a manager for the mine as is required by this Section the owner and agent shall each be guilty of an offence against this Act:

Provided that if the person appointed to be manager of a mine, by reason of death, resignation, or otherwise, ceases to be manager, nothing in this Section shall prevent the mine being worked (for a period not exceeding four months) until a new manager is appointed, if in the meantime a competent person holding a first-class or second-class certificate is temporarily appointed to perform the duties and exercise the powers of manager.

(3) A mine in which the total number of persons employed below ground does not exceed thirty shall be exempt from the provisions of this Section, unless the inspector of the division, by notice in writing served on the owner or agent of the mine, requires that it be under the control of a manager, and in any mine so exempt in which a manager holding at least a second-class certificate of competency has not been appointed the powers and duties conferred or imposed on the manager shall be exercised and performed by the owner or agent, and anything by or under this Act required to be done by or to the manager shall be done by or to the owner or agent.

(4) The owner or agent of a mine required to be under the control of a manager shall not take any part in the technical management of the mine unless he is qualified to be a manager.

The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Masterman)

I beg to move, at the end of Sub-section (4), to add,

(5) For the purpose of this Section, workings having a common system of ventilation or any part of a system of ventilation in common shall be deemed to form part of the same mine.

Question, "That those words be there inserted," put, and agreed to.