§ Sir R. Gowerasked the Minister of Fuel and Power what are the main causes of the high annual rates of injuries to boys under 16 years of age employed below ground in mines; the reasons which have still further increased the rates of injuries in 1940 and 1941; and if there are any reasons to account for the injuries to boys under 16 years of age in the mines of the northern division being twice as high as those employed in the mines of Scotland?
Major Lloyd GeorgeMost of these accidents occur on the haulage roads, where the great majority of the boys are employed; exceptionally in South Wales most of the boys are employed at or near the working face and most of the accidents are due to falls of ground. The rise in the non-fatal accident rates in 1940–1941 was general and not confined to boys, and is considered to have been due to complex effects of the war. The high accident rate in the North of England as compared with Scotland is mainly due to differences in the systems of haulage and the conditions of the haulage roads, differences which have had their origin in different geological conditions and different customary methods of work.