§ Mr. SNOWDENasked the Home Secretary if complaints made by workpeople to the factory inspectors are in all cases treated as confidential; and whether he has any power to interfere in cases where workpeople are dismissed by their em- 2154W ployers in consequence of being suspected of having made complaints?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELYes, Sir, the inspectors have instructions, when investigating complaints, to be careful so to conduct the inquiry that it shall not point to an informant, or lead to his being known; they are not to reveal even the fact of a complaint having been made. The Secretary of State has every reason to believe that these instructions are faithfully carried out. As regards the second part of the question, the Secretary of State has no power to interfere in cases of the kind.