§ 35. Mr. E. WOODasked the Minister of Labour whether he contemplates bringing any further trades within the Trade Boards Act?
§ Mr. WARDLESpecial orders have recently been made applying the Trade Boards Acts to a number of trades in which, or in certain sections of which, the degree of organisation was not adequate to secure the effective regulation of wages, and the application of the Acts is contemplated to several other trades in which inquiries are being made by the Department, I regard the extension of the Trade Boards Acts to cover as large a number as possible of the less well-organised trades as a matter of the most urgent importance for the purpose of regulating the conditions of labour of the workers in these trades, particularly women, and I am anxious to expedite this work as much as possible.
§ Mr. WARDLEIt is a very long list.
§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKWhy has progress been so slow that only seven trades have been put under the Act since it was passed?
§ Mr. WARDLEI think that the Noble Lord is mistaken. More than seven trades have been put under it.
§ Mr. WARDLEVery many more. The reason for the delay is that inquiries must be made into all the circumstances before a Trade Board can be set up. A definition must be found of what the trade is.
§ Lord H. CAVENDISH-BENTINCKIf progress is only at the rate of seven a year it cannot be very fast.
§ Mr. WARDLEI have already told the Noble Lord that he is mistaken. There are twenty-Four Trade Boards in existence.