§ Mr. C. WILSONasked the Minister of Labour the occupations in which the hours are more than 47 per week, by how much this figure is exceeded, and the number of employés to whom it applies?
§ Miss BONDFIELDA normal working week of more than 47 hours has been fixed by agreement between employers and workpeople in a large number of industries, for particulars of which I would refer my hon. Friend to the Report recently compiled by the Ministry of Labour, and published by His Majesty's Stationery Office, on "Standard Time Rates of Wages and Hours of Labour in Great Britain and Northern Ireland at 31st August, 1929." In the great majority of these industries, the normal hours are 48 per week, but in a few cases, mainly in industries in connection with continuous processes, the normal hours are longer. Information is not available as to the numbers of workpeople affected by these arrangements, but some statistics as to the proportions of workpeople, in a large number of industries, whose normal working week exceeded 47 hours in 1924, as shown by the results of a special inquiry made by the Ministry, will be found on page 117 of the "Nineteenth Abstract of Labour Statistics."
§ Mr. C. WILSONasked the Minister of Labour whether she has any information to show the occupations in which systematic overtime is being worked; and whether in any such cases any approach has been made, either to employers or 2082W employed, to ascertain whether in view of the state of unemployment any effort could be made to find work by cutting down overtime?
§ Miss BONDFIELDI have no comprehensive information of the kind referred to. Inquiry has been made in certain cases reported to the Department, but it is the usual practice for such questions to be the subject of discussion between the employers' and workers' organisations concerned.