§ Mr. A. Robertsasked the Minister of Power, in view of the official report by Her Majesty's Divisional Inspector of Mines on the explosion at the St. John's colliery, Normanton, Yorkshire, if he will introduce new regulations under the Mines and Quarries Act making it compulsory that no electrical apparatus shall be operated by any workman unless he is adjudged capable, by examination, of detecting firedamp by recognised gas detectors in use at the colliery of employment, and that such a gas detector shall be available before a workman is allowed to operate electrically powered apparatus.
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§ Mr. GeorgeMy right hon. Friend cannot agree to introduce such regulations which would require the use of gas detectors in many cases where their use is clearly unnecessary. Managers already have difficulty in finding sufficient men, willing to undergo tests of ability to detect firedamp and carry and use firedamp detectors underground, in order to comply with the present regulations.