§ MR. CHARLES WILSON (Hull, W.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will have inquiries made into the action of the Factories' Inspector at Hull, who has lately caused prosecutions for slight breaches of the Acts?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. H. H. ASQUITH,) Fife, E.I have made inquiry with regard to the prosecutions referred to, and I find that in every case 1577 the Inspector acted properly in undertaking them. I cannot regard it as a slight offence that employers who are allowed two hours' overtime should exceed that limit, or that firms who have been allowed to substitute another day for Saturday as the half-holiday should deprive the workpeople altogether of the weekly half-holiday. In one case a boy had been employed for 7½ hours without a break for food. I entirely approve of the action of the Inspector, who would have failed in his duty if he had allowed the provisions of the Factory Act to be disregarded.