HC Deb 24 November 1911 vol 31 cc1568-70

  1. (1) Every haulage road on which the haulage is worked by gravity or mechanical power, shall be provided with sufficient refuge holes at intervals of not more than ten yards, but if the gradient does not exceed one in twenty, and either such a clear space as aforesaid is provided or the rate of haulage is not more than three miles an hour it shall be sufficient if the intervals are not more than twenty yards.
  2. (2) Every haulage road on which the haulage is worked by animal power shall be provided with sufficient refuge holes at intervals of not more than twenty-five yards.
  3. (3) Every refuge hole shall as near as may be be three feet in width and not less than four feet in depth, and shall be on the same side of the road, and if such a clear space as aforesaid is provided shall be on the same side of the road except on curves where the refuge holes may be on the outer side of the curve as that space, and shall be marked with a distinctive number, and shall, where necessary to make it readily visible, be constantly kept whitewashed, both inside and for a distance of not less than one foot round the aperture, and shall be kept clean, and nothing shall be placed in any refuge hole or across the entrance thereto so as to impede ingress.
    4. 1569
  4. (4) Provided always that refuge holes need not be provided on roads within twenty-five yards of the working face.

Amendments made: In Sub-section (3), after the word "depth" ["not less than four feet in depth"], insert the words "and not less in height than the height of the haulage road at the point where the hole is, or six feet, whichever is the less."—[Mr. Masterman.]

In Sub-section (3), after the word "road" ["shall be on the same side of the road "], insert the words "as that space."

In Sub-section (3), after the word "curve" ["on the outer side of the curve"], leave out the words "as that space."—[Mr. S. Roberts.]

Sir C. CORY

I beg to move, in Sub-section (4), to leave out the words "twenty-five" ["within twenty-five yards of the working-face"], and to insert instead thereof the word "fifty."

This Sub-section is a new one, put in at the instance of the hon. Member for Mansfield (Sir A. Markham). If reference is made to the Report of Standing Committee "B" on the Coal Mines Bill, page 109, it will be found that the Sub-section runs, (4) Provided always that refuge holes need not be provided on roads within fifty yards of the working face. Now it is found in the Bill as not fifty, but twenty-five yards. I think the attention of the Under-Secretary was drawn to it, and he said that fifty yards was a mistake. It is a curious thing that we should find that in the Standing Committee's Report fifty yards is mentioned. I propose that we abide by the Report of the Standing Committee.

Mr. HARMOOD-BANNER

I beg to second the Amendment.

Mr. MASTERMAN

I agree with the hon. Baronet that there was an unfortunate mistake, for which, of course, the Home Office is not responsible. There is a divergence in the Report of the Committee's proceedings and the actual doings of the Committee. The matter was brought to the attention of the officials of the House in order to correct the statement. It now appears in the Bill as twenty-five yards. The decision of the Committee was twenty-five yards, and we ask the House to maintain the decision of the Committee. I want to make it quite clear that that does not mean, if the decision is maintained, that there is to be a manhole within twenty-five yards of the working-face. Sub-section (2) says, Every haulage road on which the haulage is worked by animal power shall be provided with sufficient refuge holes at intervals of not more than twenty-five yards. And then under Sub-section (4) it is provided that the refuge hole need not be provided on roads within twenty-five yards of the working-face.

Sir C. CORY

I ask leave to withdraw.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.