HC Deb 06 May 1943 vol 389 cc306-8
72. Mr. Brooks

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number of fatal and non-fatal accidents in the mining industry during this year in each district and the comparative figures for 1942 and 1938?

The Joint Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Fuel and Power (Mr. Tom Smith)

As the answer involves a tabular statement, I will, with my hon. Friend's permission, circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.

ACCIDENTS AT MINES UNDER THE COAL MINES ACT
(Excluding the Stratified Ironstone Mines in Cleveland, Lincolnshire and Northampton).
DISTRICT 1938. 1942
No. of Persons killed. No. of Persons seriously injured.* No. of Persons disabled for more than 3 days. No. of Persons killed. No. of Persons seriously injured.* No. of Persons disabled for more than 3 days.
Northumberland … 44 178 7,348 31 110 Not yet available.
Durham … 88 418 18,834 122 331
South Yorkshire … 99 304 18,378 114 319
West Yorkshire … 39 135 6,552 43 167
Lancashire and Cheshire … 55 200 8,931 60 165
North Wales … 6 48 1,500 6 32
North Derbyshire … 121 261 7,480 35 221
Nottinghamshire … 25 139 8,254 41 166
South Derbyshire … 1 23 484 7 27
Leicestershire … 8 40 1,374 13 41
Cannock Chase … 13 84 2,579 18 73
North Staffordshire … 27 142 3,316 76 136
South Staffordshire and Worcestershire … 9 17 727 9 14
Shropshire … 4 12 440 2 13
Warwickshire … 8 76 3,271 11 54
Cumberland … 10 21 1,375 7 19
Forest of Dean … 4 21 571 5 19
Bristol … — — 43 1 —
Somerset … 1 9 434 5 6
Kent … 5 16 1,521 1 16
South Wales and Monmouth-shire … 154 578 25,564 149 543
Fife and Clackmannan … 27 89 2,851 27 65
Lothians (Mid. & East) … 15 73 1,789 15 50
Lanarkshire, etc. … 61 183 5,938 57 154
Ayrshire and Dumfries … 27 68 1,754 14 45
Great Britain … 851 3,135 131,308 869 2,786
* Injuries which, because of their nature or severity are, under the terms of Section 80 of the Coal Mines Act,1911 required to be reported to His Majesty's Divisional Inspectors at the time of their occurrence.
Mr. Foster

Can the Parliamentary Secretary say whether there has been an increase in the number of accidents or a decrease in the period mentioned in the Question asked by my hon. Friend?

Mr. Smith

I have had two complete years got out—last year and 1938—and the figures are somewhat similar. If you take the figures for this year and compare them with the figures for the same period of last year, there is a decrease. If my hon. Friend has any particular period in mind, I shall be glad to get out the figures for him.

The statement as follows: