§ Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether statements concerning number of ponies used at particular collieries; numbers of accidents suffered by them or of injuries arising from accidents, numbers cast, humanely destroyed or otherwise disposed of; and ages of ponies when taken up from the mines for good and disposed of or destroyed, are independently checked and verified as in the case of financial matters in connection with collieries.
§ Mr. GaitskellIn so far as the statistics referred to are collected, they are collected by statutory annual returns furnished by the collieries to the Ministry of Fuel and Power. These returns are scrutinised by the Ministry's statistical staff and anyprima facie errors are taken up with the persons responsible for completing the returns. In addition, His Majesty's Inspectors of Mines possess powers to make any inquiry necessary to verify the particulars supplied and use these powers where information appears to be inaccurate.
§ Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many of the 1,600 cast or humanely destroyed horses and ponies that were employed in mines in the year ended 30th June, 1948, were over the ages of 15, 20 and 25 years.
§ Mr. GaitskellI regret that the particulars desired are not available.
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§ Mr. Peter Freemanasked the Minister of Fuel and Power the number of horses employed in the mines of South Wales; and the number of ponies employed in the mines of Durham, Northumberland and Yorkshire, who are over the ages of 15, 20 and 25, at the present time.
§ Mr. GaitskellThe number of horses employed in the mines of South Wales and Monmouth at 30th June, 1948 (the latest date available), was 4,068. As regards the second part of the Question, I regret that the information is not available.