§ MR. BEAUMONT (Sussex, Eastbourne)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether lie is aware that cases of cruelty and sweating have been proved to be carried on in certain religious institutions recently expelled from France; whether he can inform the House what occupations are carried on by the inmates of these institutions since they have settled in this country; and whether the wages paid them in any way approach the rate of trade union wages; and, if not, what steps he proposes to take.
§ MR. GLADSTONEI am aware of the reports which appeared some years ago in the Press on this subject. I am not in possession of exact information as to the occupations carried on in institutions belonging to the Order mentioned in those reports, but I believe both laundry work and needlework are
§ MR. GLADSTONEThe figures will be found in the following table:
§ done. I have no information as to the wages paid, if any. All industrial work by inmates of charitable institutions is now brought under regulation by the Factory Act of last year. I am not proposing to take any further steps.
§ MR. T. L. CORBETT (Down, N.)asked as to a letter written by a bishop declaring that the girls in these institutions now domiciled in England worked longer hours than was allowed by the civil law.
§ MR. GLADSTONEasked to be supplied with a copy of the paper.