§ Colonel Sir Charles MacAndrewAs it affects my constituency, I desire, by Private Notice, to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has any information regarding the explosion last night at the Ardeer Works, Stevenston, Ayrshire, belonging to Imperial Chemical Industries, Limited.
§ The Secretary of State For the Home Department (Mr. Ede)I regret to have to tell the House that an explosion 1197 occurred in a cartridging house at Ardeer yesterday, resulting in the death of the four girls who were in the building. I have instructed one of His Majesty's inspectors of explosives to investigate the cause of the accident. The inquiry will open tomorrow. The House will join with me in expressing sympathy with the bereaved relatives.