§ 6. Viscount SANDONasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether celluloid factories will be brought under the same restrictions as explosive factories in forthcoming legislation?
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Sir William Joynson-Hicks)This matter has been receiving very careful consideration. A code of Regulations is already in force, but the serious fires which have occurred recently in works manufacturing or hand-ling cinematograph film, have shown the necessity of requiring the adoption at those works of much more stringent pre- 1088 cautions. I am about, therefore, to issue two draft codes of amendment Regulations; one—which has already been informally discussed with the industry—dealing with the manufacture of film, and the other dealing with works in which waste film is manipulated. These Regulations will introduce a number of new and important safeguards, and they will, I anticipate, render any special legislative provision unnecessary.
§ Mr. W. THORNEMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether he has seen the report of the fire which took place recently at St. Pancras and the statement made by the woman factory inspector about the number of factories which she was called upon to examine, making it impossible to do the inspection properly?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI am afraid that is true.
§ Mr. THORNEWhy not engage more inspectors?
§ Colonel DAYWhat portion of the industry is the right hon. Gentleman consulting in regard to fresh Regulations? There are many portions of the industry.
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSI am sorry that I cannot answer that question off-hand. These Regulations have been submitted to one association dealing with this matter, and, if the hon. Member likes, I will look it up and let him have the name of the association.
§ Miss LAWRENCEArising out of the supplementary answer, is it not the case that the money lost in these fires would pay the salaries of several inspectors?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSAs the hon. Member knows, I hope next year to introduce a Factories Bill, and I trust to have her full support in carrying it through.