§ MR. O'GRADY (Leeds, E.)To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is able to grant the Return, re docks, wharves, quays, and ships, which stands on the Order Paper for to-day,†
(Answered by Mr. Secretary Gladstone.) I regret that I am unable to grant the Return desired by the hon. Member. As regards several of the points in the Return, e.g., (b), (c), and (e), there is no information in my possession and my Department has no means of obtaining it, while as regards others there would be considerable difficulty involved in getting out the particulars desired. Such information, however, as I am able to give the hon. Member on the different points included in the Return is set out below. (2) The number of docks, wharves, and quays in the United Kingdom recorded in
†Return showing—(a) The number of Docks, Wharves, and Quays there are in the United Kingdom; (b) The length of working Quays: (c) The number of Ships worked, and tonnage handled; (d) The number of visits paid, during the working time, by the Factory Inspectors to Docks, Wharves, Quays, and Ships: (e) The aggregate number of men employed aboard working Craft and Quays; (f) The number of Accidents, general and fatal, aboard Ship or working overside to Quay; (g) What gears and working plant examined on Docks, Wharves, Quays, and Ships; (h) The number of Factory Inspectors allocated to inspection of Docks, Wharves, Quays, and Ships; (i) What qualification determines the appointment of Inspectors to Docks, Wharves, Quays, and Ships; (j) The number of Accidents in consequence of defective and unsafe ladders in holds of vessels.1114 the Factory Department as subject to the regulations made under Section 79 of the Factory Act is 3,067, but I am not prepared to say that this figure includes every wharf or quay on the rivers, canals, etc., of the country, however small and unimportant, (d) The number of docks, wharves, and quays visited by the factory inspectors during 1905 was 2,147, but I cannot give the number of separate visits. Many docks would be visited frequently. There is no separate record of ships visited in connection with the enforcement of the regulations, (f) and (j) The accidents in docks, wharves, and quays are not tabulated separately or classified according to cause for the purpose of the annual statistics, but some statistics were specially prepared by the Department in connection with the public inquiry two years ago into the regulations when in draft, and I shall be happy to furnish the hon. Member with these if he wishes, (g) All the gearing and plant dealt with by the Regulations are examined, (h) and (i) The work of inspection is carried out by the factory inspectors for the district in which the premises are situated, and no inspectors have been specially appointed for these duties.