HC Deb 19 November 1930 vol 245 cc577-80

Ordered, That a Select Committee be appointed to consider and report upon proposals for limiting the hours of work of shop assistants and improving the conditions of their employment, and for that purpose to inquire—

  1. (1) what are the hours at present usually worked in the various distributive trades, both retail and wholesale;
  2. (2) what would be the probable economic effects of a statutory 48-hours week (with a limited amount of overtime) upon the distributive trades as regards organisation of work, wages, employment, and prices; by what methods it could be applied to various kinds of trade and what arrangements would be feasible for enforcing it;
  3. (3) whether conditions of employment exist in any classes or descriptions of shops in respect of matters affecting the health and welfare of the assistants which make it desirable that powers of regulation and supervision should be given by statute:"

Ordered

That the Committee do consist of Eleven Members:

Major Braithwaite, Mr. Charles Buxton, Mr. Rhys Davies, Lieut.-Colonel Gault, Mr. William Hirst, Sir Alfred Law, Mr. Philip Oliver, Sir Gervais Rentoul, Mr. James Stewart, Mr. R. A. Taylor, and Mr. Womersley nominated members of the Committee:

Ordered, That the Minutes of Evidence taken by the Select Committee on Shop Assistants of last Session be referred to the Committee.

Ordered,

That the Committee have power to send for persons, papers, and records:

Ordered,

That Three be the quorum.—[Mr. T. Kennedy.]

The remaining Orders were read, and postponed.

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