§ Mr. MORRELLasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the complaints that have been made of the lack of adequate supervision by the managers of coal mines of the underground workings of their mines; and whether he will consider the advisability of inserting an amendment in the Coal Mines Bill, requiring personal supervision on the part of the manager at stated intervals of all parts of the mine?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe Royal Commission on Mines took evidence on this subject, and provisions have been inserted in the Mines Bill which is now before Parliament, for strengthening the existing law in this respect. I am afraid that if intervals were fixed, as suggested by my hon. Friend, for visits by the manager, they would tend in practice to be treated as a maximum rather than a minimum standard, and the present responsibility of the manager, which is to exercise daily personal supervision of the mine, would be weakened rather than increased.