§ MR. NUSSEY (Pontefract)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the allegations of cruelty to apprentices said to be committed on some of the Grimsby fishing smacks, and to the fact that some of the lads are reported to prefer seven to 14 days' imprisonment, with hard labour, to going to sea in the smack in which they are apprenticed; whether, if there is reason to fear the charges of cruelty well founded, he could suggest any means of preventing the same, or enabling lads to avoid such apprenticeship when unfit for sea service or ill-treated; and whether it would be possible to have some system of licensing masters to have apprentices, and some local supervision over the master and apprentices?
§ MR. BRYCEMy attention has been called to the statements which have been made with respect to the working of the fishing apprentice system at Grimsby. The Board of Trade and the Local Government Board, jointly, have instituted an inquiry into the whole system, and I expect to receive in a day or two the Report of the two Inspectors who have conducted the inquiry. Until I have considered it I shall not be in a position to make any statement on the subject.
§ MR. A. O'CONNOR (Donegal, E.)Will the right hon. Gentleman cause the inquiry to be extended so as to include the case of pauper apprentices who ought under the law to be looked after by the relieving officers? Also, will it include children on coast-wise colliers?
§ MR. BRYCEThe present inquiry has been completed, and I think it will be found that the Report deals with the case of pauper apprentices sent on fishing smacks. It does not go beyond that.
§ MR. NUSSEYWill the Report be laid on the Table?
§ MR. BRYCEI presume so. I have not yet received it, and cannot say whether any part of it is confidential.