§ 40. Miss JEWSONasked the Minister of Labour how many inspectors and investigators are employed in the Trade Board Department; by how many have these numbers increased since he took office; and will he ask the Treasury for a further grant, in view of the bad wages and conditions of many workers?
§ Miss BONDFIELDAs the reply is necessarily a long one, I propose, with my hon. Friend's consent, to circulate it in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the answer:
§ The total number of inspectors sanctioned for the Trade Board Division of the Ministry of Labour is 60. Of these, three are headquarters staff engaged in general control, and three are engaged from headquarters on special inquiries. 48 officers have either been allocated, or are in process of being allocated, to seven divisions in which inspection has been decentralised, and the remaining six inspectors will be appointed later. The total inspectorate, including the headquarters staff and special inquiries officers, sanctioned when my right hon. Friend assumed office, was 30, though, in addition, 10 officers were working as trade board inspectors on loan from other Departments of the Ministry. Further, as part of the decentralisation of inspection, provision has been made for secretarial assistance in each division.
§ With regard to investigation, which is carried out not by the Trade Boards Division, but by the Statistics Division, for the general work of investigation (including that in connection with the Trade Boards Acts) carried out by them, the total number of officers sanctioned is 28 (including four officers in control). This figure compares with the total staff of eight in post at the time mentioned in the question.
§ With regard to the last part of the question, we shall carefully watch the progress made in the work as the result 2510 of this increase in staff, with a view to seeing that it is adequate for the present work or any further work which may devolve upon it.