HC Deb 03 August 1882 vol 273 cc586-7
MR. ARTHUR ARNOLD

asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether, under the provisions of the Act of 1881 relating to alkali and other works, the inspector at Manchester and Salford (with one assistant) has charge of a district which extends to and includes the Isle of Wight; whether there are in that district 250 works to be inspected; whether, under the Acts of 1863–74, the number of works allotted to each inspector was about 40; and, whether he can state what measures Her Majesty's Government proposes to take in order to secure that the Act of 1881 shall be effective in its operation?

MR. DODSON

It is in a certain sense true, Sir, that the district referred to extends to and includes the Isle of Wight; but it is, in reality, two districts—one north and one south—divided among two Inspectors, one of whom is a Sub-Inspector. The present arrangement of districts, however, is altogether provisional, and the final arrangement can only be made after further ex- perience of the amount of work to be done and of the facilities for visitation. In the entire area referred to there may be as many as 250 works; but many of them are very small, and will occupy only a short time in inspection. Under the previous Acts the number of works allotted to each Inspector was about 40; but they were exclusively alkali works, while now many of the additional works, being in the same neighbourhood, can be visited on the same occasion. The measures which I am now taking in organizing a system of inspection will, I trust, secure the effective execution of the Act, and the Chief Inspector has no fear but that such will prove to be the result.

MR. WARTON (for Mr. GORE-LANG-TON)

asked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether there is any objection to the printing of the register of alkali and other chemical works under the Act of 1881; and, if not now printed, when it will be?

MR. DODSON

There will be no objection to the printing of a list of the alkali and other works registered under the Act of 1881, and I propose to lay such a list on the Table of the House as a Parliamentary Paper before the close of the Session.