§ MR. STEADMANI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been called to the statement by Dr. Talbot, medical officer of health for Bow—namely, that he has visited the works of Bryant and May, and was of opinion that unless the use of yellow phosphorus was prohibited these cases would continually occur; under these circumstances, would he bring forward an Amendment to the Factory Acts having for its object the prohibition of the use of yellow phosphorus in the manufacture of matches; and will he prosecute either Bryant and May or their medical officer for manslaughter, in consequence of the death of one of their workmen, Cornelius Lean?
§ THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir M. W. RIDLEY,) Lancashire, SouthportI have been informed by the District Board of Works that the medical officer has made a report to this effect, and I have asked for a copy of the report. Without seeing this, I cannot, of course, judge of the value of his opinion. The whole subject of the use of yellow phosphorus is being thoroughly considered, and active inquiries are being carried out in all directions. As regards the case of Lean, I am advised that there are no grounds for instituting a prosecution for manslaughter. Messrs. Bryant and May and their medical man failed to notify the case, but there is no ground for thinking that their failure to do so was the cause of Lean's death.