HC Deb 08 June 1937 vol 324 cc1564-5
17. Mr. Ellis Smith

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he has given further consideration to the suggestions made in the Gresford Inquiry Report; whether any of the suggestions have been carried out; and what further steps are contemplated to profit by the Report?

The Secretary for Mines (Captain Crookshank)

In the debate on these reports I stated that the major issues as regards administration and amendment of the safety law must necessarily await the findings of the Royal Commission. I indicated, however, that certain action had already been taken on the reports, that the question of taking legal proceedings for breaches of the law disclosed by the reports was under consideration, and that I intended to propose general regulations to deal with certain matters ad interim without prejudging the recommendations of the Royal Commission. In the course of the debate I was urged to consider also the question of increasing the number of inspectors. Legal proceedings have been taken and were fully reported in the Press. The drafting of the new regulations has presented considerable difficulties, but the draft is finished and will be circulated very shortly. I have investigated the case for appointing additional inspectors, for the purpose, more particularly, of increasing the volume of inspection on afternoon and night shifts in view of the fact that machine mining has resulted in the employment of greatly increased numbers of persons on those shifts. Specific proposals are under examination, and I hope to be in a position to make a definite statement in the near future.

Mr. Smith

Will the Minister bear in mind the very searching inquiry which took place into this disaster and the very valuable suggestions made by the Chief Inspector in the report; and will he, as soon as possible, inform the House how many of those valuable suggestions have been carried out?

Mr. James Griffiths

Is it proposed to reconsider, at an early date, the possibility of reopening the part of the mine in which the explosion occurred?

Captain Crookshank

That is another question, about which I have already given answers on different occasions.