§ MR. BELLI beg to ask the President of the Board of Trade, whether he is aware that during the ten weeks ending the 21st January no less than 41 separate and distinct representations were made by the hon. member for Derby alone to the Board of Trade, under the Railway Regulation Act, 1893, in connection with excessive hours worked by railway servants; that three of these representations specifically mentioned 125 cases of single shifts of duty ranging from 14 hours to 30 hours and 45 minutes worked by engine drivers, firemen, or goods guards; and that 30 of the representations were general complaints with regard to the hours worked at various depôts, supported in each case by specific examples of single turns of duty ranging from 14 hours to 30 hours and 40 minutes; and, whether, having regard to these representations, he will now call upon the railway companies to furnish Returns of the hours worked by men employed in the above-mentioned grades for the months of October and November last, showing the number of men employed 962 in each grade and the number working each number of hours above ten each day, and the number resuming duty each hour below nine hours interval between shifts, and whether he will now call for such Returns.
§ * THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF TRADE (MR. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds Central.The Board of Trade have received the representations referred to by the hon. Member, and are dealing with them in accordance with the Railway Regulations Act, 1893, with all the expedition possible. The representations cannot be said to affect the Railway Companies generally or whole classes of servants. They concern in all eleven companies, but fifteen of the complaints relate to one (Scotch) company, five to another company (also Scotch) and six to one of the English companies. Upon the information before me, it would not be reasonable to call for the general Return suggested by the hon. Member.