§ MR. ARTHUR HENDERSON (Durham, Barnard Castle)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can state the number of prosecutions instituted by factory inspectors during 1905 for non-compliance with the orders made by the Home Secretary under Section 116 of The Factory Act, 1901; and whether his official information shows that under the present arrangement of inspectors and assistant inspectors the orders can be rigidly enforced in all the Home industries to which they apply.
§ *MR. GLADSTONEFive informations were laid against two firms during 1905 for broaches of orders requiring particulars in non textile trades. It is obvious that 819 considerable difficulty must attend the enforcement of the requirement in the case of outworkers, to whom it has been extended during the Last four years, as the inspectors cannot follow each outworker to his home; but I am informed that in fact much has already been done during the short time the orders extending the requirement to outworkers have been in force to ensure that they receive the particulars prescribed.