§ 46. Mr. TINKERasked the Secretary for Mines the number of inspections made by His Majesty's inspectors of the mines in. Lancashire and Cheshire during 1932; and will he also state if, when such inspections are made, an examination of the register, kept for the purpose of recording particulars of lowering and raising of the men in accordance with the Seven and a-half Hours Act, takes place?
§ The SECRETARY for MINES (Mr. Ernest Brown)The number of inspections was 1,754, and in a substantial number of these inspections the hours register was examined.
§ Mr. TINKERMay I ask whether his inspectors have arrived at any conclusion as to the causes of overtime, and what steps they are taking to prevent it?
§ Mr. BROWNI am not satisfied that the amount of illegal overtime work is sufficient to justify inspectors making an inspection of the register for this purpose every time that they go to a particular pit. It would be very uneconomical to employ the time of qualified technical inspectors specially for this purpose every time that they went to a pit.
§ Mr. T. WILLIAMSDoes not the Secretary for Mines think that it is the duty of inspectors to see that the law is observed in respect of hours worked in mines, and does he not think that inspectors should send in a report to the Mines Department so that the hon. Member can make up his mind?
§ Mr. BROWNI get constant reports about the matter, and have had it closely under review during the last few months since hon. Members have been putting questions on it. There are a great many 503 duties with which inspectors are charged when they go to a pit.
§ Mr. KIRKWOODArising out of the Minister's statement that there is not enough illegal overtime to justify these inspections, has he seen the speech of Mr. Andrew Clark, President of the Scottish Miners' Association, at the Conference yesterday, in which he stated that there were cases in Scotland of 19 hours being worked down in the mines?
§ Mr. BROWNI am having inquiry made into the allegation, but the hon. Member will see that it is not a question of whether overtime is worked or not, but a question of whether it is worked illegally or not.
§ Mr. LAWSONWill the hon. Gentleman give very serious attention to this matter as it seems evident that the emergency clause is being used for a purpose which was never contemplated when it was passed?