§ MR. J. RAMSAY MACDONALD (Leicester)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he proposes to institute any proceedings against firms engaged in the fish-curing trade, in respect to violations of Section 41 of the Factory Act, pending inquiries on the operation of this section; whether he can state how long the inquiry will last before a Report is presented; and whether the Report will be laid upon the Table before the Home Office takes any action inconsequence of the inquiry.
§ MR. GLADSTONESo far as Section 41 is concerned, the inquiry will be confined to the one or two points on which the difficulties referred to in my previous Answer have arisen; as regards any violations of the section that may be reported outside those points, proceedings will, of course, be taken in proper cases. The inquiry will be made during the present season, but I cannot say exactly how long it will take, or when I shall receive the Report of the chief inspector. I will lay the Report on the Table of the 1410 House. Any alteration of the terms of Section 41 would, of course, require legislation.