§ 109. Mr. BUTCHERasked the Home-Secretary whether his attention has been drawn to the Reports of His Majesty's Inspector of Coal Mines as regards pit ponies for the year 1914; whether he is-aware that those Reports show that out of a total of about 70,400 horses and ponies employed in the coal mines of the United Kingdom in that year no less than 4,870 were killed as the result of accident or disease and about 10,880 were injured; whether the best results are shown in Division 4 (Lancashire, North Wales, and Ireland),where the total number employed is only 1,774 and the number of deaths is 49 per thousand and the number of injuries 46 per thousand; whether the worst results are shown in Division 5 (South Wales), where the number of deaths is 86 per thousand and the number of injuries 193 per thousand, and in Division 3 (Yorkshire and North Midlands), where the number of deaths is 84 per thousand and the number of injuries 198 per thousand; and whether, in view of the very great number of deaths and injuries of these animals, he will direct His Majesty's inspectors and the horse-keepers to make more particular inquiries into the causes of these deaths and injuries and to insist on greater precautions being taken?
The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr-Brace)I am advised that no comparison made between the figures for the different coalfields mentioned in the question can be of any value. In the Lancashire Division the gradients are such as to admit of a much more extensive use of mechanical haulage at the face than is possible in Yorkshire and South Wales, and the ponies which are employed there in much smaller numbers are used mainly on the levels where the strata are more settled and the work not so heavy. It must be remembered in considering the figures that they include those which required to be destroyed in consequence of injury, disease or old age. The inspectors are already 1221 instructed to make thorough and systematic inquiry into the care and treatment of the horses, and their reports show that, generally speaking, the position in these respects is quite satisfactory. I do not think any further instructions can be usefully issued.
§ Mr. BUTCHERDoes not the hon. Gentleman think that the number of deaths and injuries mentioned in this question is very large and might be usefully diminished?
§ Mr. BRACEIt is large, and we regret it very much, but I am advised by the inspectors that everything has been done that can be done to reduce the number of accidents.