§ MR. DRAGE (Derby)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can state, with regard to the work of the women inspectors under the Home Office in 1897, how many visits to factories were made by them; in how many cases defects were notified by them to the local authorities; 1197 how many prosecutions were undertaken by them; and what number of applications were made to them by women workers?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir M. WHITE RIDLEY,) Lancs, BlackpoolThe figures are subject to verification, but I am informed that the number of visits to factories was 1,496, of visits to workshops 2,191, of representations to local authorities 286, of prosecutions 158, of complaints received from all quarters 426. Of the complaints, 400 related to matters within the scope of the Factory Acts and allied Acts; and of these 400 159 come direct from work-people or their friends, 122 from various industrial organisations, 20 from public officials; 99 were anonymous.