HC Deb 02 February 1939 vol 343 cc386-7W
Mr. Cape

asked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether he will arrange with His Majesty's Stationery Office to publish a cheaper edition of the Report of the Royal Commission on Safety in Coal Mines?

Captain Wallace

The present system of pricing Government publications is so arranged that the total cost of printing the copies for sale to the public (that is to say exclusive of the cost of compiling the material and the cost of official copies) is recovered from the proceeds of sale without any appreciable profit or loss to the taxpayer. It is not desirable to vary the pricing scale in favour of particular documents and I am afraid that I do not think that departure from the usual practice would be justified in this case.

Mr. Daggar

asked the Secretary for Mines whether, in view of the opportunity afforded Members of Parliament to study the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Safety in Mines Report during the Christmas recess, it is the intention of the Government to implement those recommendations by the introduction of a Mines Bill at an early date?

Mr. Cape

asked the Secretary for Mines whether it is his intention to bring in a Bill in this Session of Parliament to give effect to the recommendations of the Royal Commission on Safety in Coal Mines as set out in their Report Cmd. 5890?

Captain Crookshank

I would refer both hon. Members to the statement I made yesterday in reply to the hon. Member for Llanelly (Mr. J. Griffiths).

Mr. Cape

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he will arrange for a copy, free of charge, of the Report Cmd. 5890 of the Royal Commission on Safety in Coal Mines to be placed in all the Miners Welfare reading rooms?

Captain Crookshank

I regret that I have no supply of copies from which such a large-scale distribution could be made, nor any funds from which to purchase them for this purpose, but I will consider if there may be any other way of getting it done.

Applications to the Medical Board for certificates under the Various Industries (Silicosis) Schemes from Coalminers.
— 1938. 1937.
Total. South Wales. Anthracite Mines. Total. South Wales. Anthracite Mines.
Disablement or suspension:
Number of applications for certificates. 821 622 301 643 471 230
Number of certificates granted. 434 382 205 286 251 132
Number of certificates refused. 387 240 96 357 220 98
Deaths:
Number of applications for certificates. 94 80 32 99 84 45
Number certified as due to the disease. 59 46 18 72 63 35
Number of certificates refused. 35 34 14 27 21 10