§ 5. Mr. RITSONasked the Secretary for Mines whether he will consider the question of giving a grant towards the pumping of water from the disused mines in the western part of the Durham coalfields, which is a danger to lives of miners working on the eastern section of the county?
§ Captain CROOKSHANKI am afraid that I have no funds from which I could give financial assistance for any such purpose. The safety aspects of the question are the subject of close watch by His Majesty's inspectors, and no ground for apprehension is known to them at present.
§ Mr. RITSONIs the Minister aware that there was a survey there some 12 months ago, and that in the report it was stated that there were some collieries pumping 11½ tons of water to one ton of coal; and does he not think that that is a serious danger to the men on the other side?
§ Captain CROOKSHANKI should have to refresh my memory as to the details of the survey.