§ MR. D. THOMAS (Merthyr Tydfil)I beg to ask the Financial Secretary to the War Office whether the changes recently made in the hours of labour at some of the Government Departments at Woolwich constitute a maximum eight hour day or 48 hour week; whether the men are compelled under ordinary circumstances to be at work every day during the whole time; how the hours are reckoned, and whether meal-time is included; and if a 48 hour week, 793 what are the highest maximum hours in any one day inclusive of mealtime?
§ MR. WOODALLThe changes referred to in the hours of labour at Woolwich constitute a 48 hours week. Men are ordinarily required to be at work the whole time during which their services are required. In all cases the hours for leaving off work are the hours for leaving the shops or places where the men are actually at work. For coming to work, the hours named are the times for depositing the tickets in the ticket-boxes, which are placed as near as possible to the men's work. On five days the men work from 8 a.m. till 1 p.m., and from 2 p.m. till 5.40 p.m. They have, therefore, a free hour for dinner, and the actual work covers eight hours and 40 minutes. On Saturdays the work is from 8 a.m. to 12.40 p.m."