§ MR. F. MADDISON (Sheffield, Brightside)I beg to ask the Secretary to the Treasury, as representing the Postmaster General, whether he will state who is responsible for the supervision of the sanitary condition of post offices; whether the officers in charge of the buildings are not permitted to allow the local sanitary authorities to visit the premises; and whether he will direct that when the members of the postal and telegraph staffs complain of the inadequate arrangements made for safeguarding health in post offices, the local sanitary inspector or factory inspector shall be permitted to investigate the cases, being accompanied in the visitation by a member of the taff?
§ MR. HANBURYAll post offices which are not provided by the department itself are subject to inspection by the local sanitary authorities. Crown post offices—i.e., those provided by the Department—are, like other buildings, the property of the Government, exempt from inspection by the local sanitary authority. The Postmaster General is responsible for the supervision of the sanitary condition of these offices; and by his direction the sanitary arrangements are under constant supervision by the officers in charge, as well as by the local medical officers to the department; they are also supervised by the professional officers of the Board of Works. When a sanitary inspector desires to visit one of these offices, the officer in charge is instructed to obtain authority for him to do so. Whenever the staff of any office complain of inadequate arrangements for safeguarding their health, the complaint is immediately investigated, and steps are taken to apply any remedies that may be found necessary and practicable. In the circumstances, it is not at present considered necessary that the local sanitary inspector, or factory inspector, should have further facilities for investigation.