§ Mr. FREEMANasked the Secretary for Mines the number of coal mines which are worked entirely without horses and ponies and use only mechanical haulage; and if he will give the number of electric storage-battery locomotives used in coal mines and a list of mines which use mechanical haulage to the total exclusion of horses and ponies?
§ Mr. TURNERIn 1928 the number of mines under the Coal Mines Acts in which no horses were employed was 1,247, but this figure includes many small mines where the absence of horses does not necessarily imply the presence of mechanical haulage. Most of the larger264W mines use some form of mechanical haulage, whether horses are also employed or not. Information as to mines which use mechanical haulage exclusively is not available. Consent to the introduction of electric storage battery locomotives below ground has been given at 13 mines under the Coal Mines Acts.