§ 26. Mr. PALINGasked the Secretary for Mines for the date when the Regulations applying to stone dusting in coal mines were put into operation?
§ Colonel LANE FOXThese Regulations were made on 30th July, 1920, and came into force on 1st January, 1921.
§ Mr. PALINGCan the right hon. Gentleman state whether stone-dusting was in operation in past years, before 1914, for instance?
§ Colonel LANE FOXIt was certainly started, but it certainly was not enforced by Regulation until 1st January, 1921. The general effect upon the figures quoted by the hon. Gentleman means that the number of deaths per annum from accidents has enormously decreased.
§ Mr. PALINGWill the right hon. Gentleman deny that most of the pits in this country in 1913, 1914, and, particularly, 1915, were regularly using stone-dusting in order to mitigate the coal-dust accidents, and can he tell us how many of these pits, about these dates, were actually doing it and how many were not?
§ Colonel LANE FOXIf the hon. Member will put down a question I can give the particulars, but my impression is that stone-dusting was not general before the Regulations came into force.
§ Mr. PALINGBut does not the information at the Ministry of Mines prove that most of the pits, the tremendous 1863 majority, were actually doing this in 1914 and found it so beneficial that they actually continued it.
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member must give notice of that question.