§ 6. Mr. MARDY JONESasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that, owing to the liquidation of the Lewis Merthyr Coal Company, Glamorgan, in the spring of this year, over 600 miners disabled whilst in the employ of the said company have been deprived of their weekly benefits under the Workmen's Compensation Acts ever since and have been rendered destitute thereby; is he aware that most of them have had to have recourse to poor relief; and what steps does he propose to take with regard to the representations made to him by the Pontypridd Board of Guardians and the Bridgend Board of Guardians, who are jointly charged with the relief of most, if not all, these cases?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI deeply regret the prolonged suspension of the weekly payments in these cases. I am informed by the receivers in charge of the company that it was necessary first to arrive at a settlement in regard to all the 1370 claims outstanding, and that this was a lengthy business, but agreements have now been reached in all cases, and they have obtained the authority of the High Court to make a payment of 20 per cent. on account in each case as soon as the agreements have been registered. I am afraid that the final payments may have to wait over until the whole account is closed. As regards the last part of the question, I must refer the hon. Member to my reply to his previous question on Thursday last. A system of compulsory insurance as proposed by the guardians would involve an amendment of the law of a far-reaching character which could not he undertaken without the most careful consideration.
§ Mr. MARDY JONESWith regard to the latter part of the right hon. Gentleman's reply, do I understand him to say that this was undertaken by the guardians? The guardians have been asked to relieve these people, because they have been deprived of compensation.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI did not say that it was undertaken by the guardians. I said that the system of compulsory insurance as proposed by the guardians would mean an alteration of the law.
§ Mr. MARDY JONESIs it not the case that not only the guardians but hon. Members of this House have been pressing this matter for some time past I understood from the reply which he gave on Thursday last that, if the matter could be produced in the form of a short Bill of a non-controversial character, the right, hon. Gentleman would give it his serious consideration. Has he done so?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSIn the first place, I must ask the hon. Member to look at his own question, which is:
What steps does he propose to take with regard to the representations made to hint by the Pontypridd hoard of guardians.I have answered that question. Now the hon. Member asks a supplementary question. I have several other questions on the Paper on the same subject, and perhaps, after I have answered them, he will consider whether it is necessary to put a further question.
§ Mr. MORGAN JONESI understand that these men concerned will be guaranteed compensation sooner or later?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI have not said that, and please do not let it go out as having been said by me.
§ Mr. MARDY JONESIs it possible for the right hon. Gentleman to use his good influence to expedite the payment of the 20 per cent., which I understand is now being given to assist these people who have been without money since March last and are in real distress because of it?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSIf the hon. Member will pay careful attention to my answer, he will see that I have been in communication directly with the receivers, and I am doing all I can in what I admit are very unfortunate circumstances.
§ 7. Mr. MARDY JONESasked the Home Secretary how many colliery corn-panics in Great Britain have not insured against their liabilities to their employés under the Workmen's Compensation Acts; and can he state how many of the said companies have gone into liquidation since 1st January, 1927, to the latest available date, and how many of the liquidated companies have failed to pay compensation to their disabled miners, giving the names of each such company and the number of disabled miners so affected who were in their employ up to disablement?
§ 13. Mr. JOHNasked the Home Secretary whether he is now able to provide statistics showing with reference to the colliery companies in South Wales that have gone into voluntary liquidation or bankruptcy during the last two years, the number which had not insured with an insurance company or a mutual indemnity company against workmen's compensation risk; and the number of workmen who are deprived of their right to compensation in consequence?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe total number of colliery Owners in Great Britain not insured either with an insurance company or a mutual indemnity association was, according to the last returns, 476. I regret that the information asked for by the hon. Member for Ponty- 1372 pridd (Mr. Mardy Jones) in the last part of his question is not immediately available and will take a little time to collect, but I have been in consultation with the Mines Department and I hope that it will be possible with their co-operation and with the assistance of the liquidators concerned to obtain particulars. I would also invite any hon. Member who is aware of any such cases during the period in question to furnish me with the name of the colliery and any other particulars in his possession.
§ Mr. MARDY JONESOn Thursday last the right hon. Gentleman, in reply to a question of mine, said the number of colliery companies which had insured was 1,100 odd. The figure he has given now of colliery companies which have not insured is 476. Is it not a very serious state of affairs in the coal industry that nearly one-third of the colliery companies have not taken the necessary precaution to insure so that their workpeople, who have to risk life and limb in their behalf to produce coal and profits for the shareholders, may be safeguarded absolutely against the effects of liquidation? [HON. MEMBERS: "Speech!"] I must press for an answer, because this is a matter of the utmost importance.
§ Mr. SPEAKERI quite realise the importance of the question, but no answer is necessary to the supplementary question of the hon. Member. He was only giving information.
§ Mr. MARDY JONESI beg to give notice that, in view of the unsatisfactory nature of the replies of the right hon. Gentleman, I shall raise the question on the Adjournment of the House.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSMay I say to the hon. Member that, until I have completed my inquiries, which I am conducting with all rapidity, it is quite impossible for me to give a further reply?
§ Mr. MARDY JONES rose—
§ Mr. SPEAKERWe cannot have any more questions now.
§ 12. Mr. JOHNasked the Home Secretary whether he has given further consideration and will he now state whether he will introduce this Session a Bill making it compulsory on all colliery 1373 companies to insure with an insurance company against workmen's compensation risk?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI am afraid it is impossible for me to add anything at present to the reply I gave on this subject to the question asked by the hon. Member on Thursday last. All I can say is that I am fully alive to the gravity of the question raised by the hon. Member and that as soon as the results of the inquiries I am making into the facts of the situation are available, it will receive most careful and sympathetic consideration.
§ Mr. JOHNWill the right hon. Gentleman be able to give me the information if I repeat the question in a week's time? Will he then have completed his inquiry?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI shall do my best to get full information.