§ 21. Mr. PALINGasked the Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs how many Basutos are employed in the mines of the neighbouring, territories, and how many have been certified, after a period of work in the mines, as suffering from miners' phthisis?
Lord STANLEYAccording to the recent report of the Basutoland Commission the average number of Basutos employed in the Witwatersrand gold mines during 1931–33 was 29,374. I have no information as to the number of Basutos who are suffering from miners' phthisis contracted as a result of such employment, but the total number of cases of pulmonary tuberculosis reported in Basutoland during the period in question averaged 323 a year.
§ Mr. PALINGIs there not some machinery for ascertaining the number suffering from this dreadful disease?
Lord STANLEYI should think that is very doubtful. All we can do is to try to get hold of the figures.
§ Mr. PALINGIn view of the statement in the report that there is a certain amount of compensation, but no figures are given, cannot ways and means be found for ascertaining the figures?
§ Captain P. MACDONALDIs it not the case that there is machinery in operation in South Africa to deal with all these cases of phthisis in the mines, and that the hospital at Johannesburg can quite easily supply figures of the cases dealt with?