§ Mr. Rhys Daviesasked the Minister of Labour whether he will give statistics showing how production deteriorates when workpeople are employed for unduly long hours?
§ Mr. BevinThe extent and rapidity of deterioration of production, where unduly long hours are worked, vary considerably according to the nature of the work and other factors, and I doubt whether they could be indicated statistically except by examples of relationship between hours and output actually found in particular cases. Various examples of this kind are quoted in past reports of the Industrial Health Research Board; and in their recent special report entitled "Industrial Health in War" they summarise the main general conclusions reached. The Board are conducting further inquiries into this subject which it is hoped will result in valuable supplementary findings, though they emphasise in the preface to that report that the need at the moment is rather for application of knowledge previously gained, than for new researches.