OFFICES REGULATION. (Hansard, 21 November 1928)

§ Miss WILKINSON

I beg to move, That leave be given to bring in a Bill to regulate offices and the employment of young persons therein; and for other purposes connected therewith. This Bill was introduced by me last Session, and obtained the unanimous verdict of the House. I had hoped that it would not be necessary to take this procedure of introducing it again, but that it would have been possible for my party to have balloted for the Bill, and to have brought it in under a more dignified procedure. Unfortunately, however, the Prime Minister has found 1731 it necessary to take all the time of private Members, and this poor little infant looked like being snuffed out. The Prime Minister said that he hoped it would be possible for certain non-controversial Bills to get through during the Session, in spite of its very crowded condition. I want to ask the Home Secretary, in whose Department this Bill comes, whether it will be possible to use his influence with certain Members of his party in order that this Bill might be regarded as non-controversial, because I am certain that anyone who reads the extraordinarily moderate provisions, and realises the great need which it is intended to meet, will feel that it is inconsistent with their duty as responsible Members of this House to oppose the Bill.

The Measure is appropriate just now, in view of the large number of office workers, especially young women, who will be enfranchised, and will vote at the next Election. I have been astonished at the number of letters which I have received from all over the country since I last introduced the Bill, giving me particulars of the conditions under which women in particular, but men too, have to work in offices. It is frequently forgotten that there is no protection, apart from the local sanitary by-laws, covering workers in offices. They are outside the factory legislation and the Shops Acts, and unfortunately they are a class who are not very highly organised. The grievances are getting steadily worse with the overcrowding in great cities, and with women coming into offices which were never built to accommodate both sexes and where the sanitary conditions and so on are doubtful, even for men, and are extremely inadequate for women. The danger to health that comes from bad ventilation is well known, and in a large number of offices, not only in the old rookeries, but in recently built offices, there is no ventilation, and conditions towards the end of the day get very bad indeed. I should like to refer to two letters which I have received. One was sent to an employment agency asking them to help a girl to secure another job, because her health was breaking down owing to the conditions in the office in which she worked. The writer said: 1732 As to insanitary conditions, under the women's dressing-room floor there is a leakage and the dampness is creeping up the walls, giving off a very offensive odour. This room measures approximately 10 feet by 4 feet, and is used by about a dozen members of the staff. In another case which concerns one of the most modern office buildings in Regent Street, the office is underground and artificial light is necessary all day. The worker in this case contracted anaemia, and has been warned by her doctor that if she continues to work underground, she is in danger of contracting pernicious anaemia. She was given promotion a short time ago, but this involved working in a smaller underground office leading out of the present office. These are facts which are well-known to any Member of the House connected with office conditions. This is a very moderate Bill. It takes into account the fact that it is not possible to reconstruct all offices in the course of a year, and it gives wide powers to local authorities. It puts the onus upon the owner, who is often getting high rents. We urge hon. Members to give this Bill a unanimous First Reading, and to allow it to go through its other stages automatically.