§ 43. Mr. D. L. DAVIESasked the Secretary for Mines whether his attention has 798 been directed to a statement made by Mr. Charlton, the divisional inspector of mines, during the inquiry held into the cause of the Gresford colliery explosion, to the effect that the ignition of firedamp was caused by the emission of a spark from a telephone in use at the colliery; and will he take immediate steps to inform colliery managers of the danger caused by the continuance of the use of such telephones as those in use at Gresford?
§ The SECRETARY for MINES (Captain Crookshank)Yes, Sir. I am aware that. among the suggestions made to the Court of Inquiry as to possible causes of the explosion at Gresford was one by Mr. Charlton that the explosion might have been started by the operation of an underground telephone. As regards the second part, the use of telephones in which there is a risk of open sparking is prohibited in any part of a mine in which gas
though not normally present is likely to occur in quantity sufficient to be indicative of dangerand the precautions necessary to comply with this regulation have been repeatedly emphasised in the annual reports of my Department, in a special safety pamphlet, and in circulars issued in 1933 and 1935 to colliery owners and managers. I will send the hon. Member copies of these circulars and pamphlet.
§ Mr. DAVIESIf this circular has been sent round to the managers, ought not this gentleman who advances this ridiculous theory to have known about it and ought he not to have examined this telephone for which he was responsible and which he now claims caused the ignition?
§ Captain CROOKSHANKAs the inquiry is going on, I do not feel at liberty to make any comments on any statements made before it.
§ Mr. DAVIESIn view of the fact that this is the third colliery explosion that the hon. Gentleman's Department has atrributed to defective telephones or signalling apparatus, and particularly in view of the fact that Mr. Charlton had one of these in his division, ought he not to have seen to it that this telephone was in proper order?
§ Captain CROOKSHANKIt is not the case that my Department has made any 799 statement at all. Mr. Charlton mentioned this as one of many suggestions of a possible cause of the disaster, but he did not pin himself down to it as the exact cause.
§ Mr. LAWSONWhen is the House likely to hear the report of this investigation; or is it to continue for all time?
§ Captain CROOKSHANKThe inquiry is not yet closed.