HC Deb 27 May 1941 vol 371 cc1698-9
30. Mr. T. Smith

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is in a position to make a statement on the report of the mineworkers' Federation with regard to the investigation into the practicability of the Voortmann plug for use in shot-firing?

The Secretary for Mines (Mr. David Grenfell)

This report indicates circumstances in which the use of this stemming plug for cushion-blasting seems to have been of advantage. There are, however, other effective methods of stemming shots, and methods of getting down coal without the use of explosives at all. The relative advantages of all these different methods vary with circumstances and are best determined by working experience. This is a free field subject to compliance with the essential conditions of safety.

Mr. Smith

In view of the fact that the report shows that this plug is not only used for safety purposes but enables more round coal to be brought down with less slack, will he give the matter further consideration?

Mr. Grenfell

We afford a free field for all these various substitutes for explosives. This is an ordinary explosive used in a special way, and the people who are present at the experiment will draw their own conclusions.