§ 33. Mr. SAMUELSasked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether, having regard to the great extent of the mineral rights now vested in the Government 610 through the Estates Commissioners by reason of sales of estates under the Irish Land Purchase Acts, he will consider the advisability of having steps taken to have Ireland constituted a separate division apart from Lancashire and North Wales for the purposes of the Coal Mines Act, 1911, and the Metalliferous Mines Regulation Acts, and to have the control and inspection of Irish mines transferred from the Home Office, Whitehall, to the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction in Ireland?
§ Mr. DUKEThe extent of the mining operations mentioned in the question does not seem at present to warrant a change such as is suggested.
§ Mr. LUNDONIs not the best means of carrying out the request made by the hon. and learned Gentleman to set up an Irish Parliament, and when that Parliament is set up it will have control of the mines as well as of several other things.