§ MR. DRAGE (Derby)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will ascertain what proportion of the 528 women and 63 girls, reported since 1895 as suffering from lead poisoning, occurred in factories where mechanical ventilation was used?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENTI am afraid that, quite apart from any question of the labour entailed by an investigation into the ventilation existing at each factory where the various cases arose, the inquiry suggested by the honourable Member would be of very little use, as it is only in the dry processes that mechanical ventilation is a protection against lead poisoning. It would not be possible accordingly, from mere statistics of cases, either to judge fully of the importance of mechanical ventilation in preventing lead poisoning, or to determine definitely whether particular factories are well or badly ventilated.