To ask the Secretary of State for Employment when he last discussed safety in mines with (a) the European Commission and (b) the Council of Ministers.
My right hon. and learned Friend the Secretary of State and my hon. Friend the Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Forth) have regular discussions with the European Commission and the Council of Ministers on matters concerning health and safety in industry as a whole, including mining. A European directive detailing minimum health and safety requirements for mines is being prepared by the European Commission which will give an opportunity for more specific discussion on mining safety.
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment what is the total of fatal accidents and major injuries, respectively, in coal mines owned (a) by British Coal and (b) others, in the current year and in each of the preceding five years.
The latest available information on accidents and injuries in coal mines is for 1990–91. The table gives the information for the period 1986–87 to 1990–91.
| Fatal | Major injuries | |||
| BCC | Other coal mines | BCC | Other coal mines | |
| 1986–87 | 15 | 3 | 952 | 30 |
| 1987–88 | 9 | 3 | 729 | 27 |
| 1988–89 | 18 | 2 | 685 | 25 |
| 1989–90 | 18 | 1 | 587 | 23 |
| 1990–911 | 11 | 1 | 501 | 13 |
| 1 Provisional | ||||
To ask the Secretary of State for Employment how many safety investigations have been carried out in the current year and two preceding years into cases where people have been asleep underground.
There is no record of a safety investigation being carried out by HM mines inspectorate in respect of a person being found asleep underground.