§ 89. Mr. SMILLIEasked the Secretary for Mines whether his attention has been drawn to the 1923 Report of the Divisional Inspector of Mines for Scotland, to the effect that he has received many complaints in regard to men working longer hours than are allowed by the Coal Mines Regulations Act, 1908, and the Coal Mines Act, 1919, and that when investigation was made it was usually claimed that the judgment in the Roger v. Stevenson, 1912, case covered the cases; and whether he will state what steps he proposes to take to secure that the intention of the Acts referred to is carried out?
§ Mr. SHINWELLYes, Sir. Proceedings in the High Court were successfully taken by my Department in 1922 to secure that the decision in Roger v. Stevenson should not be followed at any rate in the English Courts. My hon. Friend has already been assured that we will take proceedings with the same object in the Scottish Courts on any case in which the circumstances are appropriate and the evidence is clear and reliable.