§ Mr. DEVLINasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he can state the districts in which the provisions of the Trade Boards Act are in operation, the trades affected, and the results, so far as can be ascertained?
Mr. BUXTONTrade Boards under the Act have been established for ready-made and wholesale bespoke tailoring, for paper box-making, for hammered and dollied or tommied chain-making, and for machine-made lace and fancy-net finishing. The Tailoring and Box-making Boards cover the whole of Great Britain, and, in accordance with the provisions of the Act separate Boards for these trades are being established in Ireland. Neither of these two Boards have yet fixed a minimum rate of wages. The Board for lace finishing, which is practically confined to Nottingham, has given notice of rates proposed to be fixed. In the chain-making trade alone, which is centred in the Cradley Heath district, rates have been fixed, but it is at present much too early to make any statement as to the effect of the Act in this trade.