§ 47. Mr. E. WILLIAMSasked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware of the report by one of his inspectors of a lost detonator at Ocean Colliery, Nanty-moel; and whether he will make inquiries into the accuracy of the report and make a statement upon this serious matter?
§ The SECRETARY for MINES (Mr. Ernest Brown)Full inquiries have been made but unfortunately it is not possible to discover with absolute certainty whether a detonator was lost or not. The whole question turns on whether the case which a certain fireman, on the evening of 20th March, took belowground contained five detonators, as he assumed, or only four. He certainly fired only three shots and brought only one detonator back, but he had not checked the number of detonators in the case and the storeman is unable to say definitely that he put in five. The road in which the fifth detonator must have been dropped, if in fact there was a fifth, has been most carefully searched on several occasions without result, and I understand that the workmen in the district are now satisfied in that respect. The fireman himself was temporarily suspended for not checking the number of detonators he received, and arrangements have since been made by which each fireman authorised to fire shots will sign after checking at the store. I am, however, making further inquiries into the system adopted at this colliery for the issues of detonators and explosives.
§ Mr. WILLIAMSWill it be possible for the Secretary for Mines to introduce some better method, through his inspectorate, to check the detonators and the amount of powder that is issued from time to time to the miners? A number of cases of this kind have come to my notice in which there have been prosecutions and fines have been paid. Could not the inspectorate tighten up the by-law machinery and have these matters checked?
§ Mr. BROWNPerhaps my hon. Friend will consult me and put another question down when we see the result of the inquiries.