§ MR. J. RAMSAY MACDONALDI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his attention has been drawn to Table 8 in the Report of the Chief Inspector of Factories for 1906, wherein it is shown that the number of names of outworkers received are greatly in excess of the number of visits made by the medical officers of health in Sheffield, Belfast, Worcester, Ipswich, Gloucester shire, West Ham, Westminster and other j areas; and what steps he proposes to take to make this inspection efficient.
§ MR. GLADSTONEYes, Sir. This table was included in the Chief Inspector's Report by my directions, with a view to the improvement of the present conditions. The steps that have been taken by me to improve the administration of the Home Work provisions of the Factory Act by the local authorities have been to issue a circular on the subject to the authorities and the medical officers calling their attention to the importance of a thorough administration of the Act, and 920 secondly to propose that the matter shall be discussed at a conference with medical officers of health which it is intended to hold at the Home Office in the autumn.