§ Mr. D. GRAHAMasked the Home Secretary whether he is aware that the coalowners of Lanarkshire make it a condition of employment that every man who is employed by them to work underground has to sign a form that he has never been in receipt of compensation for nystagmus; if the man states on the form that he has been on compensation for that disability he is refused employment; if he denies having suffered from nystagmus for the purpose of getting 642W employment and the disability recurs he is then deprived of compensation; and whether, as this is in effect an evasion of the Workmen's Compensation Act, he will take such action as will make the signing of such a form illegal?
§ Mr. CLYNESI understand that the practice in the Lanarkshire coalfield is generally as described in the question. It would, I think, be unfortunate if all the men who had at any time suffered in any degree from miner's nystagmus should be debarred thereafter from any underground employment, and I propose to consult with my hon. Friend the Secretary for Mines as to the possibility of arriving at some special arrangement with the industry in regard to the application of the Act to such cases.