§ MR. D. H. COGHILL (Stoke-upon-Trent)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, to prevent the serious evils arising from the use of lead in the manufacture of china and earthenware, he will appoint a small committee of scientific experts to ascertain if it is possible to use a glaze which shall be entirely free from lead in its composition?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (SIR M. W. RIDLEY,) Lancashire, N., BlackpoolI am taking steps to secure the services of two eminent scientific experts to test and report on the various glazes; but it must be clearly understood that the inquiry can deal only with the question of the comparative danger or safety of different materials. The further Question: how far materials found to be harmless, or relatively harmless, lend themselves to the practical requirements of each section of the trade is one for the manufacturers to decide by experiment. I feel sure I may count on their co-operation in this matter, and their readiness to adopt satisfactory substitutes if such should be found for the dangerous glazes now in use.