§ 4 and 5. Mr. Haymanasked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) how often he receives reports from Her Majesty's Inspectors of Mines on the condition of the fences around open mineshafts;
(2) what records his Department has of the open abandoned mineshafts in West Cornwall; and how many such mineshafts there are.
§ Mr. Geoffrey LloydThe enforcement of statutory requirements regarding the fencing of abandoned shafts rests primarily on the local authority concerned. I do not, therefore, receive reports from Her Majesty's Inspectors; the records in my Department relating to abandoned mines are collected for a different purpose and do not reveal whether the shafts are open.