§ 32. Mr. GRUNDYasked the Secretary for Mines how many pits, and the number employed, are working under the Eight Hours Act; the earliest time for descending and latest for ascending, and the average time of the workpeople underground; how many pits, and the number 1575 employed, are working under a seven-and-a-half hours' arrangement; the earliest time for descending and the latest for ascending, and the average time of the workers underground; the percentage of fatal and non-fatal accidents in the pits under the Eight Hours Act; the percentage of fatal and non-fatal accidents in the pits working under the seven-and-a-half hours' arrangements; and the fatal and non-fatal accidents in both cases to the latest available date?
| Accidents at Mines under the Coal Mines Act during the year 1928† | |||||||||
| Rate per 1,000 persons employed. | |||||||||
| District. | Normal daily hours of work below-ground.* | Average daily numberof hours spent below ground.* | Number of pits producing coal (26.1.29.) | Number of wage-earners emploved below and above-ground (26.1.2a). | Number of persons killed. | Number of persons seriously injured. | Persons killed. | Persons seriously injured. | |
| hrs. | mins. | ||||||||
| Northumberland and Durham. | Hewers 7½ | 7 | 55 | 316 | 176,200 | 160 | 747 | .91 | 4.23 |
| Others 8 | 8 | 25 | |||||||
| Yorkshire, Nottingham, North Derby and Kent | 7½ | 8 | 0 | 413 | 272,300 | 270 | 1,055 | .94 | 3.65 |
| Restof Great Britain | 8 | 8 | 30 | 1,337 | 458,500 | 654 | 2,283 | 1.12 | 4.61 |
| Great Britain | — | — | 2,066 | 907,000 | 984 | 4,085 | 1.02 | 4.26 | |
| * In certain districts it is customary to work a shorter shift on Saturdays. | |||||||||
| † Provisional figures. | |||||||||
| No information i- available as to the earliest time of descending and the latest for ascending. Information is not yet available of the number of persons less seriously injured. |