HC Deb 24 April 1911 vol 24 cc1348-50
Mr. CHIOZZA MONEY

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether, after hearing a report as to the representations of the important deputation of women trade unionists which was received by the Under-Secretary on Wednesday, 19th April, he had decided not to proceed further with the contemplated variation of the hours of dressmakers and others during the two months prior to the Coronation?

Mr. EDMUND HARVEY

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the facts laid before the Home Office by the deputations recently received, he was now prepared to withdraw the Draft Order relating to the hours of work of milliners and dressmakers?

Mr. BOLAND

asked the Home Secretary whether, in view of the repeated representations made on behalf of those employed in the dressmaking trade, he would now decline to proceed further with the proposed Order varying the hours of employment during the next two months?

Mr. ARTHUR HENDERSON

asked the right hon. Gentleman whether, in reply to the representations that have been made to him with regard to the Draft Order altering the working hours of workpeople engaged in the making of wearing apparel, he can now state if it is intended to proceed with the Order?

The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Churchill)

I have received a report of the deputation which waited upon my hon. Friend and also the results of a special investigation in the subject which I ordered to be made by the lady inspectors of the Factory Department. Both reports demonstrate that while a certain number of firms and their employés would prefer the extra hour of work at the end of the day to an hour at the beginning, the great majority of the women and girls would rather desire the additional employment in the early morning; and a large proportion of the firms which might be affected did not propose to make use of the Order. In these circumstances, I do not propose to make the Order.

Major WHITE

asked the Under-Secretary of State for War what arrangements have now been made for accommodation for Crimean and Indian Mutiny veterans to view the Coronation procession, beyond that on the Crimean Memorial in Waterloo Place; and what will be the total number who will be thus provided for?

The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for WAR (Colonel Seely)

Arrangements will be made for the attendance both on 22nd and 23rd June of in-pensioners from the Royal hospitals at Chelsea and Kilmainham and of a representative detachment of the Veteran Reserve. Crimean and Indian Mutiny veterans are included in both these categories, but I am not able to give the exact numbers at the present time. The total representation of veterans of all categories will probably exceed 1,500 on each day.

Major WHITE

It is to include both arms of course—the Army and the Navy?

Colonel SEELY

No doubt there will be veterans from the Navy as well as from the Army.