§ Mr. ROWLANDSasked the President of the Local Government Board whether the Metropolitan Asylums Board have yet decided to cancel the new regulations altering the working hours of stokers at the Darenth Asylum and to return to the old conditions which provided an eight hours a day system?
§ Mr. BURNSI have been in further communication with the managers, and have received full particulars of the alterations recently made by them in the hours of duty and conditions of service of stokers in their employment. Their resolution of 1st July provided that stokers generally should "work in shifts of twelve hours, with complete cessation of work for twenty-four consecutive hours each week, or cessation of work for twelve consecutive hours one week and thirty-six consecutive hours the next, it being understood that the men take day and night duty alternately when required, and are allowed when on day duty two hours each day for their meals; and that their annual leave be ten, days." In view of some misunderstandings at Darenth Asylum, the managers have now made it clear that the complete cessation of work referred to in the resolution is to be in addition to the preceding 1445W period of twelve hours off duty. I am informed that the hours of duty of stokers at Darenth Asylum were formerly fifty-six and a-half hours per week of seven days, with no time off duty for meals, and seven days annual leave were allowed. The hours under the new arrangement will be seventy-two weekly, with twelve hours off for meals when on day duty, and there will be ten days annual leave.