HC Deb 20 November 1945 vol 416 cc210-1
24. Mr. Harold Davies

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how the number of fatal accidents at mines under the Coal Mines Act in Great Britain, reported in the most recent period available, corresponds with the number of such accidents in the immediately preceding years.

Mr. Shinwell

In the nine months January to October this year the number of fatal accidents, underground and surface, was 457 as compared with 521 in the corresponding period of the previous year. There has been a progressive fall in the number of such accidents since 1941, the number having fallen from 925 in that year to 623 in 1944.

Mr. Davies

In view of the destructive criticism from hon. Members—

Mr. Speaker

That is the sort of supplementary to which I was referring earlier and which I deprecated.