§ MR. G. DRAGE (Derby)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether his attention has been called to the size and contents of the abstracts of the Factory Acts which have to be hung up in the factories and workshops; and, whether he will consider the possibility of issuing a short official handbook from which extracts could be made by the inspectors suitable to the different factories or districts?
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYThe abstracts of the Factory Acts have been most carefully considered, and, notwithstanding the great extension of the factory regulations effected by the Act of last Session, the contents have been so condensed as to embody the new regulations without increasing the size of the abstract. There are ten separate forms of abstract applicable to different classes of factories and workshops. I do not think it would be possible to have such a handbook as the hon. Member suggests, but several useful handbooks of the Acts have been published, and are available for use.
§ MR. MAURICE HEALY (Cork City)asked if the right hon. Gentleman would consider the question of introducing a consolidating Act.
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYthought it would be very desirable to consolidate the Acts, but, in view of the possibility of some small Amendments being necessary in consequence of the 813 haste with which the last Act was passed, he certainly did not contemplate the introduction of a consolidating Bill just now.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSasked whether, pending consolidation, the right hon. Gentleman would do something to simplify the abstract itself, so as to prevent deputations of woodchoppers and other men waiting upon him to ask what they could do.
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYsaid, he had not had any difficulties of that sort brought before him, but if they were he would do what he could to simplify matters.