HC Deb 08 February 1960 vol 617 cc31-2
The Minister of State for Commonwealth Relations (Mr. C. J. M. Alport)

With your permission, Mr. Speaker, and that of the House I wish to make a statement.

As hon. Members are aware, a serious accident occurred at Coalbrook Colliery in the Orange Free State on 21st January, as a result of which 435 miners were trapped underground. Of these 219 were from Basutoland, six from the Union of South Africa and 210 from Portuguese East Africa. After a fortnight of attempts to rescue the trapped men it was announced on 5th February by the Prime Minister of South Africa that all hope had been abandoned.

I am sure that the House will join with me in expressing our heartfelt sympathy to the relatives and dependants of all those who have died in this tragic disaster.

The High Commissioner for Basutoland, the Bechuanaland Protectorate and Swaziland has opened a Coalbrook Relief Fund for the dependants of the Basuto miners who have lost their lives. Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom are giving the sum of £10,000 to this fund. The High Commissioner will be patron and the Resident Commissioner and the Paramount Chief of Basutoland vice-patrons. The fund will be administered by a Committee in Basutoland under the chairmanship of the Director of the Basutoland Red Cross.

Mr. J. Griffiths

On behalf of my right hon. and hon. Friends—and I am sure that we speak for the whole of the British people—I should like to associate myself with the Minister's expressions of sympathy to the relatives and dependants of our fellow miners in South Africa who lost their lives in this disaster. We also welcome the Government's decision to make a contribution to the relief fund. Since the large majority of these miners—210 of them came from Basutoland, a British Protectorate, and over 200 from Portuguese East Africa—were immigrant miners, will the Minister, in consultation with the High Commis- sioner, arrange for Her Majesty's Government to be represented at the inquiry into this terrible disaster?

Mr. Alport

I am grateful for the right hon. Gentleman's expression of sympathy. I am sure that it will be widely appreciated in Basutoland. I gather that it is customary in similar cases in this country for an observer from a Government whose citizens are affected in a disaster of this sort to be present at an inquiry. That matter will be certainly taken up when the time arrives.

Mr. Grimond

We should like to be associated with the expression of regret and also welcome the fund for Basutoland. Do the Government intend to contribute to any general fund set up by the Government of the Union of South Africa for the dependants of the miners who, unfortunately, lost their lives?

Mr. Alport

Again, I am grateful to the hon. Member for what he has said. Her Majesty's Government would wish to make an appropriate contribution to any relief fund established by the Government of the Union of South Africa.

Mr. Diamond

In view of the extent of the disaster, could reconsideration be given to the amount of the proposed contribution of £10,000, bearing in mind, if my recollection is correct, that in a recent case five times that figure was given to one person alone who suffered damage?

Mr. Alport

Naturally, we have considered the amount that would be appropriate. This contribution is to the Basutoland fund as such. I have already said that if a further fund were to be raised by the Government of the Union, Her Majesty's Government would wish to contribute. There has also been a very substantial contribution, I think, from the Chamber of Mines in South Africa. There are other sources from which contributions to the general problem of assisting the dependants of those affected are being made.