§ 6. Mr. Colemanasked the Minister of Labour if he will introduce legislation similar to that which defines the legal requirements for safety, health and welfare in the Factories Act, 1961, to cover all laboratories where activities of a scientific or technical nature are conducted.
§ Mr. ThorntonMy right hon. Friend received a delegation from the Trades Union Congress about this matter on 27th November. 1964. As he told them, a great many laboratories are already covered by the Factories Act, but sympathetic consideration will be given to the case for an extension of the provision for laboratory workers in industry when the Act is amended.
§ Mr. ColemanI thank my hon. Friend for that reply. Will he bear in mind the concern felt among laboratory workers who today have to contend with improved techniques which involve the use of far 6 although the figures appear to be small? I am encouraged by the second part of the hon. Gentleman's reply. Will he consult his colleagues in other Ministries, particularly the Ministry of Defence, with a view to placing sub-contract work with J. Samuel White, possibly from Admiralty yards, to keep the men in heavy engineering industries busy? They are the people for whom we have the greatest concern.
§ Mr. MarshI will certainly look at that last point, and also at unemployment in the island. There is a problem there which one would not seek to minimize, but it is considerably less this year than it was last year, or the year before.
§ The following is the information:
§ more dangerous materials than hitherto? Will he encourage the implementation of such legislation in the near future?
§ Mr. ThorntonWe will certainly give the most sympathetic consideration to an extension, as I indicated in my Reply, but I cannot undertake that legislation will be introduced very soon.
Mr. W. T. WilliamsMy hon. Friend said that consideration will be given to these matters when amending legislation is introduced. Even if he is unable to say that legislation will be introduced immediately, can my hon. Friend give any indication when this will be done? It is very badly needed.
§ Mr. ThorntonA number of considerations have to be taken into account. There are complications with regard to laboratory workers who come under education authorities. We will certainly give the matter close consideration, but, having regard to the Parliamentary programme, I cannot give any undertaking.