§ MR. BELL (Derby)To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he has observed in the Return of hours worked by certain classes of railway men, recently issued, the number of instances of long hours of duty; and, if so, will he say what steps has he taken, or proposes to take, with the railway companies with a view to reducing the hours to a reason able limit; and will he ask for a Return for January last upon the same lines.
(Answered by Mr. Gerald Balfour.) The recent Return has been carefully examined by the Board of Trade, and I have caused a communication to be addressed to each of the railway companies the hours of whose servants would appear from the Return to have been on some occasion or occasions unreasonably long. I am considering the question of falling for a further similar Return, but am not at present prepared to make a definite statement in the matter.