§ Mr. A. C. MORTON (Peterborough)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that in the Durham and Northumberland mines the so-called boys, from 16 to 21 years of age, are made to work about 10 hours per day in the mine; and whether he can state what proportion these boys are to the men employed?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Asquith,) Fife, E.I am informed by the Inspector of Mines for Durham that no boy between 10 and 21 is allowed to work for more than 10 hours a day. It appears that in Northumberland such boys do not usually work more than 10 hours, but occasionally by arrangement as to wages they do work 10½ hours. There is no means of ascertaining officially in what proportion the number of boys under 21 stands to the number of men employed over 21.