HC Deb 25 June 1925 vol 185 cc1710-1
38. Mr. R. RICHARDSON

asked the Minister of Health what were the prescribed amounts of stone-pounding for casuals detained for an entire day, and what for those detained for one night only, in the orders sanctioning stone pounding, which were issued after the decision in Rex v. Baddeley and before the present Casual Poor (Relief) Order, and, if the amounts varied in different orders, will he state those where the amounts were respectively highest and lowest, giving the names of the unions to which they applied; and whether he will have a copy of the Order circulated to Members of this House?

Mr. CHAMBERLAIN

In the eight instances in which the task was defined by time and not by quantity, men detained one night were required to work for three hours, and men detained two nights, nine hours. In the other instances it is scarcely practicable to identify the highest and lowest amounts of task as there are differences to be considered in the quality of the stone and the size to which it is reduced by pounding. The tasks were authorised by letters of the Local Government Board and not by a formal Order.