§ Mr. T. E. HARVEYasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is aware that numbers of children who are working as half-timers are also engaged in other miscellaneous employment out of school hours contrary to The Employment of Children Act, 1903, Section 3 (3); whether it is within the power and duties of a factory inspector to institute prosecutions either of the parent or of the employer in such cases; and, if so, whether he will instruct the factory inspectors, acting in co-operation with local education authorities, to search out such cases and secure the due observance of the law?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. McKenna)The duty of enforcing the provision referred to in the question is placed by the Act on the local authority, and not on the factory inspectors; and I have no information as to the extent to which children who are working half-time in a factory or workshop are also employed in other occupations. The factory inspectors have instructions to report to the local authority any cases of the kind which come to their knowledge, but it would take them away too much from their proper duties of inspection under the Factory Acts if they were instructed to search out these cases as suggested by my hon. Friend. If, however, the facts of any cases are brought to my notice, I shall be happy to communicate with the local authority in regard to them.
§ Mr. T. E. HARVEYasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the average period between the first receipt of proposed by-laws under the Employment of Children Act, 1903, by the Home Office from local authorities, and the final confirmation of such by-laws; and whether he can see his way to introduce more speedy methods of prcedure in this matter?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe information asked for by my hon. Friend could not be obtained without a search through a great many papers, and it would not, I think, if obtained, give any useful results, as the time occupied in each case varies according to the nature of the proposals submitted for consideration, the number of objections received, and whether it becomes necessary to hold an inquiry with regard to the by-laws. Every effort is made in the Department to deal with these by-laws as expeditiously as possible, and as regards the recent Halifax case, which I understand my hon. Friend to have in mind, there was no delay at any stage in the Department in dealing with the by-laws. In the majority of cases the by-laws are settled without any difficulty.