§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENT (Sheffield, Central)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade if, now that he has been placed in possession of the name and address of the foreign agent in London who supplies brushes throughout England, made in a German prison, at a price per dozen below that of the mere labour alone at Trade Union rates in English-made brushes, he will take steps to restrain by law the competition from abroad of forced prison labour, which has been abandoned at home as unfair to those in this country who live by the productions of their industry?
§ MR. MUNDELLAI have had no notice of this question till I saw it on the Paper this morning. After I left the Board of Trade yesterday the hon. Gentleman sent a brush with the address of the agent who is said to supply them, but DO particulars were furnished as to prices of sale or manufacture. With the aid of the Foreign Office the Board of Trade are inquiring into the matter.
§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENTI have here for the information of hon. Members the card of the agent in England of the German convict prisons, and also a specimen of the prison-made goods he is selling in England.
§ MR. MUNDELLAI have no knowledge of this.
§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENTI brought it to the right hon. Gentleman's notice.
§ MR. MUNDELLAThe hon. and gallant Member did not intimate to me that he was going to put a question.
§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENTThe right hon. Gentleman has not said 376 whether the Government is prepared to take steps to exclude the importation of these goods.
§ MR. MUNDELLAWe have no means of taking steps to exclude anything.
§ COLONEL HOWARD VINCENTI beg to give notice that on Wednesday next I shall ask leave to introduce a Bill to prevent the importation into this country of goods manufactured or produced wholly or in part by foreign prison labour.
§ MR. MUNDELLAIt will interest the House to know that an agitation is going on in Germany against the competition of prison labour, and the German Government have ordered a full inquiry into the whole matter. We await with interest the result, of that inquiry.