HC Deb 27 January 1942 vol 377 c536
7. Mr. W. Joseph Stewart

asked the Secretary for Mines the number of Government inspectors in the Northern division; the number of collieries that they serve; and the number of inspections made in each county during the years 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939, 1940 and 1941, respectively?

Mr. Grenfell

Apart from a sub-inspector of quarries, 17 inspectors of mines (including two inspectors of horses) are stationed in the Northern Division, and there are two vacancies that are about to be filled. Excluding the Cleveland ironstone mines, there are 355 mines working under the Coal Mines Acts in the Division, namely:—Northumberland 102, Durham 230, Cumberland 22 and Yorkshire (North Riding) 1. As the remainder of the reply consists of a table, I will, with the hon. Member's permission circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

Mr. Stewart

Is my hon. Friend satisfied with the number of inspectors to cover this coalfield?

Mr. Grenfell

Yes, Sir, I think it is a very much larger proportion than we have ever had before.

Following are the figures: