§ MR. T. L. CORBETT (Down, N.)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there is any official list of establishments belonging to various religious societies where laundry work is carried on; and whether the Government propose to introduce legislation to make such laundries subject to the ordinary law.
§ *MR. AKERS-DOUGLASYes, Sir, there is such a list. It was prepared after the passing of the Factory Act of 1901, in fulfilment of the promise made by my predecessor at the time. I do not contemplate introducing legislation such as the hon. Member suggests. I may add that about half these laundries have consented to be inspected, and are, at the present time, regularly inspected by His Majesty's Inspectors of Factories and Workshops.
† See (4) Debates, cii., 28.
§ MR. T. L. CORBETTIncluding those belonging to the Roman Catholic Church?
§ *MR. AKERS-DOUGLASCertainly; that is the whole point.
§ MR. T. L. CORBETTNo, it is not the whole point.
§ MR. SLOAN (Belfast, S.)Will the right hon. Gentleman give a list of the institutions inspected?
§ *MR. AKERS-DOUGLASI do not think there will be any objection to that; but if the hon. Member will put down a Question I will consider it.
§ MR. T. L. CORBETTAlso of those that refuse to allow inspection?
§ MR. PATRICK O'BRIEN (Kilkenny)Is it not a fact that when proposals were before the House for inspecting these institutions, many Protestant institutions objected to inspection on the same ground as Catholics did?