§ 28. Mr. RHYS DAVIESasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he will consider setting up a Departmental Committee to inquire into and report upon conditions prevailing in offices in this country?
§ The UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE for the HOME DEPARTMENT (Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd)My right hon. Friend appreciates the hon. Member's desire for the fullest information, but he does not think that the present time is opportune for any such inquiry. As was explained in the Debate on the Offices Regulation Bill, it is proposed in the Bill to consolidate the Public Health Acts to clarify the position of offices under the provisions relating to matters such as ventilation and overcrowding and to remove all doubts as to the power of local authorities to undertake systematic inspection. Local authorities would then be put in a position to deal effectively with the most urgent matters and at the same time to accumulate information in regard to any other conditions which are not at present dealt with in the Acts.
§ Mr. DAVIESWill the hon. Gentleman be good enough to convey to his right hon. Friend our view that the consolidation of the Public Health Acts will not secure the information that it is desired to have for the purposes we have in view; and will he be good enough to keep his mind open with regard to this matter?
§ Mr. LLOYDWe will certainly keep our minds open on this subject, but I think that the entry of inspectors of local authorities into offices under the new position is the best way of accumulating information on the whole subject.
§ Mr. DAYWill the hon. Member also consider giving local authorities the power to inspect Employment Exchanges, some of which are very much out of date?