HC Deb 13 June 1899 vol 72 cc1087-8
MR. LEES KNOWLES (Salford, W.)

who had on the paper the following Notice of Motion— To call attention to the registration of plumbers; and to move, that it is desirable that the Government should introduce legislation dealing with the subject, and create a scheme for the national registration of plumbers, said: I wish to address the House upon a subject in which I have taken great interest for a considerable number of years—namely, the subject of the registration of plumbers. It is a subject which I think is of great public interest. In the first place, I should say that for many years past there has been a constant movement of apprentices from shops to shops, and consequently there has been less supervision on the part of the masters of these apprentices, who are thus not able to learn their work properly. It seems to me that if anyone fails in the ordinary occupations of life he thinks himself able to turn his hand to the plumbing trade. The consequence of that has been that there has been an immense amount of scamped work introduced into plumbing throughout the whole country. We had evidence of that before a Select Committee. For instance, we had the evidence of Mr. G. Davies, a foreman plumber, and Mr. G. Jennings, a. member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, who gave before that Committee illustrations of scamped work—

Notice taken that 40 Members were not present; House counted and 40 Members not being present—

The House was adjourned at Eight of the clock till To-morrow.