HC Deb 12 July 1906 vol 160 cc1058-9
MR. CHIOZZA MONEY (Paddington, N.)

I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Homo Department if his attention has been directed to the statement in the Factory Inspectors' Report, just issued, that Mr. J. H. Warren and Mr. T. O. Edwards, factory inspectors, each travelled nearly 16,000 miles in 1905, or about sixty miles for each working day, while many other inspectors travelled distances almost as great; and, if so, whether he will make such an increase in the staff as will enable the inspectors to devote more time to inspection and less to travel.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. GLADSTONE,) Leeds, W.

I have had the Report to which my hon. friend refers before me. In parts of the country which are not industrial in character and where factories and workshops are comparatively few and scattered, it is not possible to avoid a large amount of travelling on the part of the inspectors. I am, however, quite in agreement with my hon. friend in thinking that time spent in travelling should be reduced to a minimum. Certain changes in this direction have recently been made, and further readjustment will follow the increase in the staff which I am about to propose.