§ Mr. JOWETTasked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, before his representative attends the meeting of the Woolcombers' Union on the 21st instant, called for the purpose of pressing the suggestion of his Department to employ women on the night turn in wool-combing sheds, he will make inquiries among fashionable dressmakers in the West End of London concerning the increase in the amount of dress material 1659W used in ladies' skirts at present in fashion as compared with the amount of material used for similar garments before the War, and endeavour, with the assistance of the President of the Board of Trade and the War Savings Committee, to prevent the waste of at least 2 to 2½ yards of material per garment, and in this way diminish the demand for night work from women of the working class, who have their homes and children to attend to in the daytime?
Mr. SAMUELI am afraid I cannot usefully add anything to the answer which I gave to the hon. Member on this subject on the 16th March. The Government is most anxious to discourage extravagance of any kind, but his suggestion is not, I think, a very practical one. The Home Office is very careful to limit any facilities it gives to work required in the national interest, and will, as far as possible, do so in the present instance.