§ Mr. ROBERTSONasked the Secretary for Mines whether his attention has been called to the slipping of a refuse being at Craighead Colliery, Lanarkshire, recently, whereby the lives of the men employed in and about the mine were endangered; whether similar slips have happened in other parts of the Lanarkshire coalfields; and whether steps can be taken to ensure that accumulations of refuse from the mines will be placed in such a position as not to endanger the lives of those employed in and about the mines?
§ Mr. SHORTTMy right hon. Friend has asked me to reply. It appears from a report received from the Inspector of Mines that the refuse bing at this colliery did not slip at the bottom, but that the side of a pond on the top of the bing gave way in a storm under the swirl of water caused by the wind. The Inspector states that no lives were endangered. Two cases of slips of refuse heaps have been reported at other collieries in Lanarkshire in recent years. In both cases the slip occurred at the end of the heap furthest from the pithead and caused no danger. When any reason to apprehend danger is observed, action is always taken by the Mines Inspectors to prevent refuse accumulations being placed in a dangerous position.
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