§ MR. BROGDENasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, Whether he has issued or intends to issue any general instructions for the guidance of Justices in granting licences for places for the manufacture of articles of an explosive nature; and whether he has appointed or intends to appoint inspectors for such workshops or places?
MR. BRUCEsaid, in reply, that he had directed a very experienced officer some time ago to inquire into the practices of manufactories of explosive materials, and had obtained from him a very valuable Report; but, before any legislative action on the subject was taken, it was desirable that those inquiries should be pursued further. He had directed an analysis of the present Acts, and certain regulations now adopted at the Government factories to prevent danger, to be prepared and forwarded to the local authorities wherever those manufactories were known to exist, with a request that they should be issued to their managers. He had no power at present to appoint special Inspectors for those works; but he would require the Factory Inspectors to see that the provisions of the Act now in force were carried out, and also to suggest such additional precautions as, although not provided by the Act, were really desirable for the security of persons engaged in those establishments.