§ MR. C. E. SCHWANN (Manchester, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (1) whether his attention has been drawn to the 1065 statement by the Women Inspectors (in the recent Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Factories and Workshops) that they criticise most unfavourably the sanitary accommodation provided in Lancashire and Yorkshire in many mills, and complain that the inspectors have no power to enforce a standard of decency as well as of cleanliness, sanitary arrangements being often without regard to privacy or propriety; (2) whether he is aware that England is the only great industrial country in Europe which has no clause in its factory legislation requiring general propriety as well as health in these arrangements; and, (3) if he will undertake that in any future factory legislation, to be undertaken by the present Government, special regard shall be paid to this point?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEY)I have seen the statements referred to in the Question, but, at the same time, the inspectors report that in many cases on the defects being pointed out improvements have been effected. With regard to the second and third paragraphs of the Question, the hon. Member appears to have overlooked the provision made by Section 35 of the Act of last year that factories and workshops shall be provided with suitable as well as sufficient accommodation. It is too soon at present to judge of the effects of that section, which came into force only at the beginning of this year; but it appears to me to be entirely adequate for the purpose, and in view of it I cannot agree that England is behind other countries in its legislation in these matters.