HC Deb 31 October 1916 vol 86 c1572W
Mr. JOWETT

asked the Minister of Munitions if his attention has been called to the position in which certain members of the Associated Society of Locomotive Engineers and Firemen are placed who received injuries or suffered serious loss through the destruction of their household furniture by the recent explosion at a large munitions factory in Yorkshire by reason of their inability to obtain compensation from the company which owns the factory; and whether he will relieve the men in question of the process of proving negligence on the part of the company by obtaining a Treasury Grant and paying fair and equitable compensation himself and recovering the cost afterwards from the company if it is possible and reasonable to do so?

Dr. ADDISON

The company have arranged, without admitting liability, to> pay all reasonable claims; a considerable number of claims will be paid shortly, and investigation of the remainder is proceeding as rapidly as possible. Immediately after the explosion the company made arrangements for dealing with distress. The second part of the question does not, therefore, arise.