§ 62. Mr. BUTCHERasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will grant the Return standing in the name of the hon. and learned Member for York?
1293 [Return for the year ending the 31st day of December, 1913, showing:—
- (1) The number of mines in which inspections of the animals employed therein have been made by (a) special inspectors under the Coal Mines Act, 1911, and (b) ordinary inspectors;
- (2) The number of cases in which breaches of the Regulations in the Third Schedule to the Coal Mines Act, 1911, have been discovered;
- (3) The number of prosecutions for breach of these Regulations which have been instituted against owners, agents, or managers of mines or against horsekeepers at the instance of inspectors or as the result of their inspections; and
- (4) The number of convictions which have been obtained on such prosecutions.]
§ Mr. McKENNAThe divisional and district inspectors of mines have been instructed to deal fully in their annual reports, which are now being prepared, with the question of the observance of the regulations for the protection of animals, and it will be possible in the reports to give most of the information asked for by the hon. and learned Member, but some of the particulars may not be available. In these circumstances, I hope he will not press for the Return, as the preparation of it would take the inspectors from their ordinary work.
§ Mr. BUTCHERCan the right hon. Gentleman give me the Return of the previous year pending the Report of the present year—the Returns that have been compiled from the previous Reports—it would be much more convenient?
§ Mr. McKENNAI will consider that point, but, as regards the immediate Return, the inspectors are now engaged upon their Reports, which contain the great bulk of the information the hon. Member asks for.
§ Mr. BUTCHERWhen can we get the Return?
§ Mr. McKENNAI cannot say the date, but I do not think it will be very long delayed.