HC Deb 04 January 1916 vol 77 cc900-2

Where female workers are employed on or in connection with munitions work in any establishment of a class to which the provisions of Section seven of the principal Act as amended by this Act are for the time being applied by an Order made thereunder, the Minister of Munitions shall have power to require the owner of the establishment to comply with any directions given to him by the Minister of Munitions as to the rate of wages, hours of labour, or conditions of employment of the female workers so employed, and if the owner of the establishment, or any contractor or sub-contractor employing labour therein, fails to comply with any-such directions, he shall be guilty of an offence under the principal Act, and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds, and to a fine not exceeding one pound in respect of each female worker for each day on which the offence is continued after conviction therefor.

After the word Amendments made "power" ["shall have power"] insert the words "by order."—[Mr. Lloyd George.]

Leave out the words "require the owner of the establishment to comply with any directions given to him by the Minister of Munitions," and to insert instead thereof the words "give directions."—[Mr. Lloyd George.]

Mr. KING

I beg to move, after the words "owner of the establishment," to insert the words "or any contractor or sub-contractor employing labour therein."

I raised this in the Committee Stage,, but we got through the business so very quickly, and did so much in a very short time, that the Treasury Bench could not quite see the point. Really this is the point: You take power to proceed against a man for non-compliance, but you do not take power to give him directions. I think, therefore, that in order to make the Clause quite watertight, and to have all the powers you want, you ought to be able to proceed against a sub-contractor.

Mr. LLOYD GEORGE

There is no necessity for moving this Amendment. If the hon. Gentleman will look at the Amendment at the bottom of the page he will see that far from our not having considered it, I have considered it very carefully, and we are covering it much more elaborately.

Mr. KING

Then I do not move.

Mr. LLOYD GEORGE

I beg to move, after the word "wages" ["rate of wages"], to insert the words "or subject so far as the matter is one which is dealt with by the Factory and Workshops Acts, 1901 and 1911, to the concurrence of the Secretary of State as to."

Mr. HOGGE

What is this Amendment?

Mr. LLOYD GEORGE

I will explain to my hon. Friend. All these are drafting Amendments, rendered necessary by the new Clause which I moved, and if he will look at the notice I circulated this morning he will see that I said there would be a number of Amendments. Here we must get into conformity with the Home Office.

Mr. HOGGE

Will the right hon. Gentleman say that they are drafting Amendments?

Mr. LLOYD GEORGE

Yes, they are.

Mr. ANDERSON

Are they the same as those standing in the name of Sir John Simon? If they are I wish to say I give them very hearty support, because I do not think there should be conflict between the Home Office and the Ministry of Munitions, but that any changes ought to be inside the factory laws, and not outside.

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. LLOYD GEORGE

I beg to move, to leave out the words "and if the owner of the establishment, or any contractor or sub-contractor employing labour therein, fails to comply with any such directions, he shall be guilty of an offence under the principal Act, and shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty pounds, and to a fine not exceeding one pound in respect of each female worker for each day on which the offence is continued after conviction therefor," and to insert instead thereof "

(2) Any directions given by the Minister of Munitions under this Section shall be binding on the owner of the establishment and any contractor or subcontractor employing labour therein and the female workers to whom the directions relate, and any contravention thereof or non-compliance therewith shall be punishable in like manner as if the directions had been contained in an award made in settlement of a difference under Part I. of the principal Act."

Amendment agreed to.

Mr. LLOYD GEORGE

I beg to move, at the end of the Clause, to add the words "No direction given under this Section shall be deemed to relieve the occupier of any factory or workshop from the obligation which comply with the provisions of the Factory and Workshop Acts, 1901 to 1911, or of any Orders or Regulations made thereunder."

Mr. KlNG

I hope I shall have an opportunity of moving my two Amendments.

Mr. LLOYD GEORGE

If the hon. Gentleman will move the second, I will accept it.

Mr. KING

I will move the second, which will really bring in the Employment of Children Act. I am very glad this was not overlooked, because in the eyes of many people it is a very important matter.

I beg to move, at the end of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Amendment, to add the words "or to affect the liability of any person to be proceeded against for an offence under the Employment of Children Act, 1903, so, however, that no person be twice punished for the same offence.

Amendment to the proposed Amendment agreed to.

Words, as amended, there inserted in the Bill.