HC Deb 30 October 1987 vol 121 cc459-60W
Mr. Patchett

asked the Secretary of State for Employment if he will list in the Official Report the number and nature of major injuries in the mining industry for each of the last five years.

Mr. Cope

The number of major accidents reported to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Mines and Quarries occurring in the mining industry is as follows:

Year All Coal Mines Mines Other than Coal
1982 865 17
1983 824 31
1984–851 378 29
1985–86 732 32
1986–87 982 23
1 Covers a 15-month period (January 1984 to March 1985) during which time there was a major industrial dispute. It is not comparable with previous calendar year data.

The introduction of the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations on 1 April 1986 widened the coverage of the major injury category. Major injury accident figures from 1986–87 are therefore not directly comparable with those for earlier years.

It is not possible to list the nature of these injuries without incurring disproportionate cost.