§ MR. PICKARD (York, W.R., Normanton)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has received information that at the Waterloo Main Colliery, Leeds, Yorkshire, several old men have received notice to terminate their contract of service owing to the coming into force of the Workmen's Compensation for Injury Act, 1897; whether he has received information regarding a workmen's pick carrier, whose wages are paid by the workmen, that they, the workmen, at the instance of the manager, must dismiss him because the manager says, owing to the serious obligations and responsibilities of the Workmen's Compensation Act, and the responsibilities it involves, steps must be taken to stop this old man from coming on the premises of the firm; and, whether such conduct is a violation of the Act; and, if so, whether he will take such steps as will prevent similar occurrences in future?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTThe honourable Member has been good enough himself to send me information of these cases of dismissal. I am afraid I can only say that the rights of an employer to dismiss his workmen after proper notice, or to exclude any person not his workman, from his premises is not affected by the Act of last Session, and that I have no power to interfere in the matter.