HC Deb 28 November 1911 vol 32 cc212-3
Mr. ALBERT STANLEY

I desire to ask the Home Secretary a question of which I have given him private notice: whether he can give to the House definite information of the explosion at the Jam-mage pit of the Bignall Hill Colliery, North Staffordshire?

Mr. McKENNA

Mr. Johnstone, the Divisional Inspector of Mines, reported on Sunday that an explosion of fire-damp happened at about 10.30 on Saturday morning in the Bullhurst coal workings of the Jammage pit of the Bignall Hill Colliery, North Staffordshire. The cause of ignition was a gob fire which had just been dammed off. Six men were killed and five were injured, all by after-damp. I notice that my hon. Friend has a question on the Paper for to-morrow, and I hope by then to be able to give him a fuller report.

Mr. ALBERT STANLEY

Arising out of that, I desire to ask my right hon. Friend whether complaint has reached him either from the police or from the coroner that they sought definite information of this colliery company, and it was refused?

Mr. McKENNA

No, this is the first notice I have had of the matter, but I will inquire further.

Mr. ALBERT STANLEY

I was going to ask whether my right hon. Friend would inquire into a remark made by the superintendent of police, and a similar remark by the coroner, that they had applied for information, and it had been refused, and that what information they had at the commencement of the inquiry had been obtained from what they called "secondhand sources"?

Mr. J. WARD

Does the law at present allow the police and the coroner to demand information from colliery proprietors?

Mr. McKENNA

These are legal questions which I should be very sorry to answer off-hand, but I assume there is no legal right to ask for information except in the course of a legal inquiry.

Mr. J. WARD

Is it proposed to make provision for that right to claim information?

Mr. McKENNA

I should like to have notice of that question.

Mr. ALBERT STANLEY

Will my right hon. Friend arrange to send a representative of the Home Office to attend the adjourned inquest so that full inquiry may be made into the occurrence?

Mr. McKENNA

I will give my hon. Friend full information on the subject to-morrow.