HC Deb 08 December 1911 vol 32 cc1865-8

Intervals for meals shall be arranged so as to secure that no period of more than six hours shall elapse during a period of employment without an interval of at least twenty minutes being allowed during the course thereof.

Without prejudice to the foregoing provision—

  1. (1) where a period of employment includes the hours from 11.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. an interval of not less than three-quarters of an hour shall be allowed between those hours for dinner; and
  2. (2) where a period of employment includes the hours from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. an interval of not less than twenty minutes shall be allowed between those hours for tea;
and the intervals for dinner and tea shall be increased to one hour and half an hour respectively in cases where the meals are not taken in the shop or in a building of which the shop forms part, or to which the shop is attached.

For the purposes of this Schedule the expression "a period of employment" means the period between the times fixed by a notice under this Act for the commencement and ending of the employment of a shop assistant on any day (including overtime employment, if any), or, where the employment is divided into spells, between the times fixed for the commencement and ending of a spell (including overtime employment, if any).

Amendments made: Leave out the words "period of more than six hours shall elapse during a period of employment," and insert instead thereof the words "person shall be employed for more than six hours."

In paragraph (1), leave out the words "a period of employment includes" and insert instead thereof the words "the hours of employment include."

Mr. T. DAVIES

I beg to propose, in paragraph (1), to leave out the words "three-quarters of an hour" and insert instead thereof the words "thirty-five minutes."

I do not propose to alter the amount of time given, but simply to relocate it a little differently, so that no period of less than half an hour shall be given for a meal. Lower down I have another Amendment increasing the time for tea from twenty minutes to half an hour. The reason I suggest these changes is that, as we have heard, there are some places where the assistant has to walk a quarter of a mile or more to the place where the meal is taken, and when this has to be done no period of less than half an hour should be given by the shops. This will suit much better than the arrangement in the Schedule. It will give thirty-five minutes for one meal and thirty minutes for the other. In the Bill as drafted in the first instance only sixty minutes were allowed for the two meals. If my right hon. Friend will not agree to this, I shall move an Amendment to give half an hour for each meal.

Mr. CHURCHILL

I cannot agree to that at all. There must be a period sufficient for a substantial mid-day meal. Our experience in Grand Committee, where the hon. Member was such an assiduous attendant, was that we tried a half-hour interval in a long sitting, and we found that three-quarters of an hour was more acceptable, yet our hours do not on all occasions bear very close correspondence to those of shop assistants under this Bill.

Amendment negatived.

Amendment made: In paragraph (2), leave out the words "a period of employment includes" and insert instead thereof the words "the hours of employment include."—[Mr. Churchill.]

Mr. T. DAVIES

I beg to move, in paragraph (2), to leave out the words "twenty minutes," and insert instead thereof the words "half-an-hour."

Mr. T. E. HARVEY

I beg to second the Amendment.

Mr. CHURCHILL

This means that they would get an extra ten minutes for tea, and, as far as I am concerned, I will put no obstacle in the way.

Mr. HARRY LAWSON

I am afraid that you are doing a very bad turn to the assistants, as the time will be calculated, and, there being no limitation of hours, they will in the end have to work quite as long, and at less convenient times for themselves.

Mr. GRETTON

I think my hon. Friend is quite right, and that there would be great difficulty as to the minimum period the shop is to be open. Those Amendments apparently are moved on the assumption that the employers will be harsh and oppressive, and act like slave-drivers. They want to do nothing of the kind, and there is no reason for this proposal.

Mr. T. E. HARVEY

It is very important that a sufficient interval should be allowed to make the benefit really effective.

Mr. HINDS

An hour for dinner is necessary, because that is the meal of the day, but for tea an interval of twenty minutes is quite enough.

Mr. MALCOLM

What would happen if tea is taken outside? Would the time be extended to three-quarters of an hour?

Mr. CHURCHILL

We make a flat half-hour for tea all round.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. CHURCHILL

I beg to move to leave out the words,

For the purposes of this Schedule the expression "a period of employment" means the period between the times fixed by a notice under this Act for the commencement and ending of the employment of a shop assistant on any day (including overtime employment, if any), or, where the employment is divided into spells, between the times fixed for the commencement and ending of a spell (including overtime employment, if any), and to insert thereof the words "Provided that an assistant employed in the sale of refreshments need not be allowed the interval for dinner between 11.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m., if he is allowed the same interval so arranged as either to end not earlier than 11.30 a.m. or to commence not later than 2.30 p.m., and the same exemption shall apply to assistants employed in any shop on the market day in any town in which a market is held not oftener than once a week, or on a day on which an annual fair is held."

Mr. GRETTON

I beg to move, as an Amendment to the proposed Amendment, after the word "refreshments" ["sale of refreshments"], to insert the words "or in the sale by retail of intoxicating liquors."

The object of this Amendment is to make it absolutely clear that intoxicating liquors are not included, and to bring the provision into conformity with the rest of the Bill.

Amendment to the proposed Amendment agreed to.

Proposed Amendment, as amended, agreed to.

Mr. HINDS

I beg to move, at the end of the Schedule to insert the words, Provided that an assistant employed in market towns, on market days and fair days, need not be allowed the interval for dinner between 11.30 a.m. and 2.30 p.m., if he is allowed the same interval so arranged as either to end not earlier than 11.30 a.m. or to commence not later than 2.30 p.m.

Mr. CHURCHILL

This provision is already in the Bill.

Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.