§ MR. GILL (Bolton)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether any additional steps have been taken since August last to put down time-cribbing in factories; what the results of such efforts have been; and whether he has availed himself of the help of the full staff of factory inspectors by authorising the assistant inspectors to deal with this matter in conjunction with their other duties.
§ *MR. GLADSTONEThe number of firms successfully prosecuted by the Department during the last four months was forty, the number of informations laid being 457.Fines were imposed to the total amount of £397, and costs to the total amount of £204. In the case of only one firm were proceedings unsuccessful.I hope these satisfactory results of the action taken by the Department will be found to have a deterrent effect. As regards the last part of the Question, arrangements are being made to utilise the services of the inspectors' assistants in the Lancashire districts in the prevention of time-cribbing.