FACTORIES AND WORKSHOPS BILL. (No. 296.) (Hansard, 4 August 1891)

§ LORD DE RAMSEY
My Lords, the first Amendment is not an important one, and I would ask your Lordships not to insist upon your Amendment.

§ LORD DE RAMSEY
The next is a clause which was inserted in your Lordships' House in regard to the supervision of Sanitary Inspectors, and the Commons have disagreed to it. It was not in the original Government Bill, and I have to ask your Lordships not to insist upon its insertion.

THE EARL OF KIMBERLEY
My Lords, I desire on this clause, though I know of course that it is unavailing, to enter a strong protest against the course that has been taken. This, it seems to me, would have been a very useful clause indeed, as introduced into the Bill in this House. It is a clause which would have enabled the County Councils to superintend the Sanitary Inspectors in the performance of their duties with regard to workshops. I understand the objection taken to the clause is that the owners of the workshops would be harried by having another set of Inspectors, and that it is quite sufficient to provide for inspection by the Sanitary Inspector; and, further—which undoubtedly is a fair argument—that there is a power in the Home Secretary, in case he is dissatisfied with the action of the Sanitary Inspectors, to send a Government Inspector to enforce the provisions of the Act, and see that they do their duty. What I wish to point out is this: I do not think the action of the Home Office would be nearly so efficient in these matters as would be the action of the County Council, and for this reason: that the County Council through their medical officer would be able to keep a watch upon these Sanitary Inspectors in the performance of their duties at all times, whereas the Home Secretary will only be able to act in case he hears, which he may not often do, that the Sanitary Inspectors are not doing their duty. For myself, I think the Home Office have a most undue amount of confidence in these Sanitary Inspectors; they seem to me to have, so to speak, "Sanitary Inspectors upon the brain." That must be so, when we see that they have provided in this Bill that the Sanitary Inspectors are to do certain duties, and apparently suppose that it follows they will perform those duties. I have frequently observed that though it is extremely easy to pass Bills for such purposes, it is much more difficult to get those Bills, when they become Acts, carried into effect; and my 1232 belief is that the provisions made with regard to workshops in this Bill will fail of their effect, and from a very simple cause. In the first place, the Sanitary Inspectors throughout the country, as a rule, are not men of high position, and greatly to be trusted in these matters; but what is of far more consequence, there is a much more serious objection, which has been frequently urged in the course of the discussions upon this Bill, namely, that these Sanitary Inspectors are appointed by bodies which, to a considerable extent, consist of persons who are directly interested in the abuses which the Sanitary Inspectors are to prevent. I am certain that those who know the working of the law in this respect will know that there have been innumerable cases in which the Sanitary Inspectors have failed to do their duty, because they are in fear of those under whom they act. To that extent I think this will prove an unsatisfactory provision in the Bill. I cannot imagine any real sound objection which there could be to placing this power in the hands of the County Councils. They are empowered by the Local Government Acts to appoint medical officers. Those medical officers would, in the performance of their duties, naturally know what are the qualifications of the various Sanitary Inspectors throughout the country, and will be in touch with the various Local Bodies; and though, no doubt, the County Councils are elected by electorates similar to those by whom the Local Bodies are elected, yet it is always a result which is bound to occur where you have a large body extending over a large district. Those who are at a distance are not actuated by the same motives as actuate those who are in the immediate district. It is simply human nature; people are ready enough to deal with nuisances affecting other persons, but they will take extremely lenient views of the nuisances arising on their own property. I merely utter these few words as a protest, and I sincerely trust my vaticinations may prove unfounded; but I have a strong belief that the provisions of this Bill will be found ineffectual, because the power is left in the hands of the Sanitary Inspectors without sufficient control over them.