HC Deb 05 November 1920 vol 134 cc783-5

Motion made and Question proposed, "That the Clause stand part of the Bill."

Mr. HOGGE

I did not know that this Bill was to be taken to-day, but if it is being taken, we ought to have some information with regard to the various Clauses. My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary remembers that he had no trouble with the Second Reading of the Bill, and certain questions were asked at that time. I am not sure that the replies were definite. This first Clause deals with the prohibition of employment of women and young persons in certain processes connected with lead manufacture, and I put the point on Second Reading as to the differences between the law in this country and the law that is being promulgated in connection with the Labour Section of the League of Nations Conference at Washington. I remember asking whether it meant that those nations which were below this minimum in restrictions on these trades were bound to come up to that minimum before any other nation did anything. I should very much like to know if in questions of this kind, which affect the physique of the workers, our law is above the minimum suggested by the League of Nations Conference in respect of all the six Subsections (a) to (f) mentioned in this first Clause, and, if not, in what respects we require to come up to the minimum. If you are going to have a conference of this kind that seeks to establish a minimum standard for the nations who are members of the League of Nations, we do not want to pass Bills piecemeal without understanding where we ourselves stand.

The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Shortt)

I answered this question very fully on Second Reading, as I think the OFFICIAL REPORT will show. I explained then that substantially we are ahead if anything of these proposals. There are one or two points in which our regulations do not apply to certain trades, but they do not apply because up to the present women and young children have not been employed in those trades, and the only change we shall have to make will be that the regulations must be made to apply to those trades. That will, of course, be done. I hope that makes it clear.

Mr. HOGGE

No. What I asked my right hon. Friend was a perfectly specific question. There are six Sub-sections here dealing with the prohibition of employment of women and young persons in certain processes connected with lead manufacture. These Sub-sections are set out, (a) to (f), and I asked whether our law at the moment covers every one of those separate Sub-sections.

Mr. SHORTT

I have said "Yes" over and over again.

Mr. HOGGE

The OFFICIAL REPORT is there for those who care to read it, and I say that all that my right hon. Friend has ever said is that in certain respects this is so. He has his officials at hand, and he ought to be able to tell us whether in these six Sub-sections we are covered above the minimum demanded by the Bill. If not, in which of them are we not covered?

Mr. SHORTT

I have answered that. Question put, and agreed to.