§ 34. Mr. R. MACDONALDasked the Minister of Munitions if his attention has been drawn to the fact that in certain shell works from eighty to ninety boys from a reformatory are employed each day on the day and night shifts and used for general labouring work, much of which is of a specially heavy kind, including the pushing of trucks with weights of 6 cwt. and 7 cwt.; whether, whilst the shifts of the ordinary workers in this factory are of twelve and twelve and a half hours during the night, that of these boys is thirteen hours, and for the day nine and a half for men and ten and a half and sometimes twelve and a half for the boys; whether he has received any guarantees before sanctioning the employment of these boys that they will not be called upon to do reformatory work in addition; whether he can say if this guarantee has been and is being observed; whether he has made arrangements with the institution which will protect adequately the rights of the boys in their wages, and not make their employment of special benefit to the institution rather than to themselves; whether he is aware that cropping of the hair after the manner of criminals is imposed for trivial offences upon these boys; and 696 whether he is fully satisfied regarding the general conditions of their employment in view of their character and good work?
§ The SECRETARY for SCOTLAND (Mr. Munro)I presume my hon. Friend refers to the boys from Kibble Institution, who are employed at certain munition works in Scotland. Some eighty-four boys are so employed, their work being general labouring work. I am informed that the work includes the pushing of trucks, the carrying capacity of which is 7 or 8 cwts., but that the lads fill the trucks to suit their own convenience, and push either 4 cwts. in two runs, or 2 cwts. in four runs. Each truck is manned by two boys. The average number of hours worked on the night shift by the boys is ten and a half, and on the day shift nine hours, except in the case of a few senior boys who have worked ten hours. The work is, of course, not continuous either on the night or the day shift, regular and ample intervals being, according to my information, allowed for rest. The boys employed on munitions work do not do any work in the school. As regards the earnings of the boys, an instruction was given to all reformatory and industrial schools that not less than one-third of the earnings should be allotted or credited to the boys themselves, the balance being retained for their maintenance, clothing, etc. I am informed that this instruction is followed at the Kibble Institution. Cropping of the hair is, I understand, not employed as a method of punishing trivial offences. The school is regularly inspected, and will be inspected again shortly, when particular attention will be paid to the questions raised by my hon. Friend.
§ Mr. WHITEHOUSEDoes the right hon. Gentleman propose to take any steps to reduce the hours of labour worked by these boys, seeing that this long number of hours is only the average number?
§ Mr. WHITEHOUSEWhen is it to be?