§ Mr. ARTHUR HENDERSONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can give the number of fatal accidents in places under the Factory Acts during the first nine months of 1911 and the corresponding period of 1910; also the number of cases of lead poisoning and other industrial diseases reported to the Home Office inspectors during the same periods?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe figures asked for are as follows: Fatal accidents in first nine months of 1910, 780; in first nine months of 1911, 819; cases of industrial poisoning in same periods—1910, 412; 1911, 560.
§ Mr. ARTHUR HENDERSONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he can now inform the House what steps have been taken, or are in contemplation, to give effect to the recommendations of the Departmental Committee on accidents dealing with the reorganisation of the factory inspectorate; whether any modification has been made in the double system of entry to the rank of inspector, and in the direction of assimilating the duties of existing grades of the inspectorate?
§ Mr. McKENNAI have not yet had time to examine the recommendations made by the Committee on this important subject. If my hon. Friend will repeat his question later in the year, I hope I may be in a position to make a statement.
§ Mr. ARTHUR HENDERSONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Report of the Departmental Committee on accidents in places under the Factory Acts has now been con- 1665 sidered; whether any steps of an administrative character have been taken in respect thereof; and whether he proposes to introduce a measure next Session to give effect to the recommendations dealing with unfenced machinery and other dangerous conditions in factories and workshops?
§ Mr. McKENNAThe Report of the Committee, which deals with a variety of subjects and makes numerous and important recommendations, has been and still is under the consideration of my Department. On a number of points steps are already being taken, or are in contemplation. The chief subject is, of course, the safeguarding of machinery, to which my hon. Friend refers in the question. As regards this, I am afraid I can make no promise of legislation at the present moment, but I am advised that a good deal can be done in the direction of formulating precise requirements, as recommended by the Committee, by means of regulations under the existing powers; and proposals in this direction are already in train. Further, reports on different classes of machinery are in preparation; and arrangements for conferences, as suggested in the Report, between the Department and the representatives of different industries have already been made in the case of the cotton industry, and will, I hope, be made shortly in the case of some other industries. Progress is also being made with the scheme for the establishment of an industrial museum of safety and health appliances. I may perhaps point out that the field to be covered is a very wide one and that it must be the labour of many months fully to give effect to the Committee's proposals.