§ 30. Mr. MacLARENasked the Secretary for Mines the total amount expended on safety in mines research during the 10 years ended 31st March, 1936; what proportions of the amount so expended have been contributed from the Miners' Welfare Fund, the Colliery Owners' Association, and from the Exchequer; and what decrease, if any, there has been in the accident rate during the same period?
§ Captain CROOKSHANKThe total amount expended by the Safety in Mines Research Board during the 10 years ended 31st March, 1936, was £606,058, all of which was provided from the Miners' Welfare Fund, except for Exchequer contributions amounting to £17,605. I have no information of the cost of the safety research conducted by the British Colliery Owners' Research Association. Over the period referred to, there has been an appreciable reduction in the accident rate per 1,000,000 tons of mineral gotten, but not, I regret to say, in the accident rate per 100,000 man-shifts worked.
§ Mr. RITSONIn view of the halfpenny levy for the Welfare Fund, is the research work now to be reduced?
§ Captain CROOKSHANKOh, no, Sir, that is not the case at all.
§ Mr. PALINGIs the Research Board going into the question of whether the percentage increase or the rate of increase in accidents per shift worked is due to the introduction of machinery or not, and has it any information about that matter?
§ Captain CROOKSHANKI should like to see that question upon the Paper.
§ 31. Mr. MacLARENasked the Secretary for Mines whether the list of duties 1584 in the recent advertisement by his Department for a mining engineer under the Safety in Mines Research Board indicates that the researches of the board are being limited to the prevention of falls of ground and of haulage accidents, or whether the advertisement is designed merely to indicate that the two problems mentioned are only in the forefront of the board's programme?
§ Captain CROOKSHANKNo, Sir: the matter arises in this way. I have decided to strengthen the mines inspectorate at headquarters for the time being by appointing a second deputy to the Chief Inspector: and for that purpose the Chief Mining Engineer to the Safety in Mines Research Board, who was seconded from the inspectorate to that post, is being recalled to the inspectorate. The board is accordingly taking steps to fill the vacancy on its staff. The work of the Mining Engineer to the Safety in Mines Research Board is not limited to the prevention of accidents from falls of ground and haulage operations, but, in view of the very large number of such accidents, it naturally constitutes the major part of his work.