HC Deb 05 July 1915 vol 73 cc17-8
25. Mr. ANDERSON

asked the Home Secretary whether his attention has been called to recent cases of excessive overworking of women in factories, sometimes amounting to nearly thirty hours continuous work; whether he is aware that the invariable experience is that such hours, so far from increasing output, lessen efficiency and involve a reduction of speed and a reckless squandering of the workwoman's capital—her health; whether he is aware that numbers of employers and magistrates are under the impression that all protective legislation is no longer operative; and whether, in view of the fact that factory laws have been relaxed to meet the present crisis, he will state whether new standards have been set up, what these standards are, and whether they will be enforced with due regard to the individual and national interests?

Mr. BRACE

As regards the first part of this question, I would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to a question on the same subject on the 22nd of June. There can be no doubt that such hours as were worked in the case referred to would reduce the efficiency of the workpeople and diminish the output. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary is aware that a mistaken impression exists in many quarters that the Factory Acts have been wholly suspended in Government works and other factories, and in order to correct this he has just issued a notice which appears in to-day's Press explaining that exemptions can only be obtained through an order from the Home Secretary, that they are limited to specified matters, and must be applied for by the employer in advance. The orders made, which number many thousands, necessarily vary widely according to the nature of the work, the exigencies of the national requirements, the supply of labour and other considerations, and could not be summarised in answer to a question. Some account of them will appear in the annual report of the Chief Inspector of Factories for 1914, which should be issued shortly, but I may say generally that the utmost care is taken not to allow such overwork as will injure the health of the workers and so lessen their efficiency, and that in the majority of the cases the overtime allowed for any class of protected persons docs not exceed 7½ hours a week.