§ 5. Mr. Dayasked the Secretary for Mines whether he will give, separately, the total quantity of saleable coal raised in Great Britain for the two years ended to the last convenient date, and state the quantity exported from this country, either to countries in the British Empire or to foreign countries, during that period?
§ Captain CrookshankAs the reply involves a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Mr. DayIs it not the fact that the figures show a constant decrease, and are the Government, doing anything to improve the position?
§ Captain CrookshankThe hon. Gentleman must look at the figures when he gets them, and also remember what I said in reply to the first question.
§ The information is as follows:
§ whether these figures reveal any increase in the incidence of any particular industrial disease as compared with recent years?
2877§ Captain CrookshankAs the reply includes a statistical table I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT. In reply to the last part of the question, there are substantially fewer cases of nystagmus, there is some increase in the other diseases and a substantial increase in the cases of beat knee.
| Following are the numbers of new cases of industrial disease amongst miners for which compensation under the Workmen's Compensation Acts was paid during each of the years 1934 to 1937 None of the cases in 1937 was fatal. | |||||||||||||
| Year | New cases of industrial diseases amongst miners. | ||||||||||||
| Nystagmus. | Beat Hand. | Beat Knee. | Beat Elbow. | Synovitis. | Other Diseases. | ||||||||
| Number. | Rate per 1,000 persons employed. | Number. | Rate per 1,000 persons employed. | Number. | Rate per 1,000 persons employed. | Number. | Rate per 1,000 persons employed. | Number. | Rate per 1,000 persons employed. | Number. | Rate per 1,000 persons employed. | ||
| 1934 | … | 1,745 | 2.2 | 1,200 | 1.5 | 3,686 | 4.7 | 554 | 0.7 | 328 | 0.4 | 70 | 0.1 |
| 1935 | … | 1,839 | 2.4 | 1,189 | 1.5 | 4,149 | 5.4 | 581 | 0.8 | 358 | 0.5 | 105 | 0.1 |
| 1936 | … | 1,522 | 2.0 | 1,197 | 1.6 | 4,523 | 5.9 | 628 | 0.8 | 347 | 0.5 | 101 | 0.1 |
| 1937 | … | 1,l65 | 1.5 | 1,212 | 1.5 | 4,848 | 6.1 | 700 | 0.9 | 373 | 0.5 | 129 | 0.2 |
| Particulars of cases of silicosis were given to the Hon. members in reply to a Question on 8th April last. |
§ 4. Mr. J. Griffithsasked the Secretary for Mines whether any cases have been brought to his attention in which men employed in mechanised coal faces have been disabled by diseases of the nervous system, attributed to the effects of machine-mining; and whether there has been any special investigation of this problem and with what result?
§ Captain CrookshankNo evidence of cases of this kind has been brought to my notice, and, so far as I am aware, the only special investigation is one being made by the Safety in Mines Research Board into the question of noise, and the means by which it can be reduced.