§ SIR CHARLES DILKE (Gloucestershire, Forest of Dean)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what number of manufacturers are now using a glaze conforming to the standard laid down in Rule 2, as fixed by Lord James's Award; and how these numbers compare with those of the four previous years.
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Akers-Douglas.) There are fifty-six factories, out of the 476 coming under the special rules, which use glazes conforming to the standard laid down by Rule 2. Thirteen of these use leadless glazes only, nine use leadless glazes in part, two use only glazes containing 2 per cent. of lead or under, twenty-six use only glaze3 containing 5 per cent. or under, and six use galena. The only figures available as to the use of such glazes before the new rules came into operation in March, 1904, are the numbers of occupiers who applied for and obtained exemptions, as provided by the 1901 rules, from certain provisions on the ground of using giazes which were leadless or contained only a limited amount of lead. The number of occupiers to whom such exemptions were granted during the two years 1902 and 1903 were as follows: in respect of the use of leadless glazes, nineteen and twenty-two; in respect of the use of glazes containing 2 per cent, of lead or under, one and one; in respect of the use of 5 per cent. of lead or under, fourteen and thirteen.