HC Deb 02 March 1937 vol 321 cc153-4
13. Mr. A. Jenkins

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of horses, ponies, and other animals used for haulage purposes in the mines of Great Britain; the number in each district; the number of horse inspectors in the service of the Mines Department; and the number of prosecutions, if any, for cruelties and other infringements of the law for each year since 1926?

Captain Crookshank

There are at present eight horse inspectors in the service of the Mines Department. As the reply to the remainder of the question involves a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Following is the information:

Horses employed belowground at 30th June, 1936.
District. No. of Horses on the Colliery Books.
England and Wales.
Northumberland 3,164
Durham 9,758
Cumberland and Westmorland 133
Lancashire and Cheshire 170
Yorkshire, South 2,208
Yorkshire, West 2,489
Nottinghamshire 1,477
Derbyshire, North 1,986
Derbyshire, South 192
Staffordshire, North 58
Cannock Chase 1,090
Staffordshire, South and Worcestershire 429
Leicestershire 553
Warwickshire 179
Shropshire 244
Forest of Dean 255
Somersetshire 69
Bristol 30
Kent —
South Wales and Monmouthshire 7,396
North Wales 124

Scotland.
Fife and Clackmannan, Kinross and Sutherland 17
Lothians (Mid and East) and Peebles 49
Lanarkshire, West Lothians, Stirling, Renfrew and Dumbarton 714
Ayrshire, Dumfries and Argyll 51
GREAT BRITAIN* 33,136
* Including particulars in respect of mines under the Coal Mines Act in Cleveland, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire.
Prosecutions in regard to horses employed at mines in Great Britain.
Year. No. of Charges. No. of Convictions.
1926 16 16
1927 82 78
1928 301 291
1929 401 131
1930 50 50
1931 40 38
1932 38 34
1933 10 10
1934 25 25
1935 16 16
1936 16 15