HC Deb 17 July 1914 vol 64 cc2286-9W
Mr. MORRELL

asked the Home Secretary if he will give the total number of fatal and other accidents occurring in factories and workshops in each of the years 1904–13, inclusive?

Mr. MORRELL

asked the Home Secretary if he will give the total number of factories and workshops, with the numbers of persons employed in them, in each of the years 1904, 1907, 1912, and 1913, and in any other intermediate years for which such figures are available?

Mr. McKENNA

supplied the following figures:

Year Number of Accidents in Factories and Workshops. Number of Factories and Workshops. Number Employed in Factories and Workshops.
Fatal. Non-fatal.
1904 727 78,913 242,807 4,750,070
1905 775 99,546 244,841
1906 799 110,788 248,249
1907 850 123,146 249,983 5,012,008
1908 767 121,112 260,089
1909 700 116,554 263,749
1910 822 118,651 265,142
1911 907 136,551 267,534
1912 945 142,614 272,972*
1913 996 163,915 274,569
* A return has been collected for 1912 but the tabulation is not yet completed.

The table deals only with premises which are factories and workshops as defined by the Acts, except that the figures of non-fatal accidents in the years 1905–9 include accidents on premises (docks, wharves, warehouses, certain classes of buildings in course of construction, etc.) to which Sections 104 and 105 of the Factory and Workshop Act, 1901, apply. The separate figures of non-fatal accidents for these latter premises for the years 1910–13 are, respectively, as follows: 9,819, 11,212, 12,043, 12,937.

Mr. MORRELL

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the total number of crane and winch accidents in premises under the Factory Acts in each of the years 1911–13, including those due to fracture of lifting appliances, and distinguishing fatal and non-fatal accidents?

Mr. McKENNA

The figures are as follows:—

Fatal. Non-fatal.
1911 125 3,869
1912 135 4,424
1913 140 4,816

Mr. MORRELL

asked the Home Secretary the total number of women and girls employed in factories and workshops in each of the years 1907, 1912, and 1913, if such figures are available; and the authorised number of women inspectors in each of those years?

Mr. McKENNA

The total number of women and girls employed in factories and workshops in 1907 was returned as 1,852,241. A return for 1912 has been collected and is being tabulated, but the figures are not yet available. There will be no corresponding return for 1913. The

authorised staff of lady inspectors was in 1907, 13; in 1912, 18; and in 1913, 20.

Mr. MORRELL

asked the Home Secretary the total number of persons engaged in inspecting factories and workshops, distinguishing inspectors, assistant inspectors, and women inspectors in each of the years 1904 to 1913, inclusive?

Mr. McKENNA

The following table gives the particulars of the authorised strength in each of the years mentioned:—

Year. Men Inspectors of all ranks. Inspectors' Assistants. Lady Inspectors. Total.
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
1904 108 36 8 152
1905 108 36 10 154
1906 108 36 11 155
1907 112 40 13 165
1908 131 51 18 200
1909 131 51 18 200
1910 131 51 18 200
1911 131 51 18 200
1912 134 53 18 205
1913 142 55 20 217

Mr. MORRELL

asked the Home Secretary whether he can give any further information beyond that contained in the report of the chief inspector as to the trials that are now being carried out of hand-threaded shuttles, with a view to doing away with the necessity for shuttle-kissing; when the trials were begun; whether different shuttles are being tested in the same mill; whether the Murphy-Simpson threader is included in these tests; and when a report is expected of the results obtained?

Mr. McKENNA

I would refer my hon. Friend to the answers given to questions on this subject on the 2nd of March and the 9th of June. I am informed that the representative committee (referred to in my answer of 2nd March) which is supervising these experiments is doing everything possible to bring the matter to a successful issue, but they feel that satisfactory results will not be obtained if the experiments are curtailed. They consider that a prolonged trial, extending to at least twelve months, is necessary to establish the suitability of any new kind of shuttle, and some of the specimens, which it is hoped will prove satisfactory, have only been recently submitted. Hence it will, I fear, be some months before a final report can be expected. The trials, which were commenced very shortly after the first conference towards the end of 1912, are being carried out at different mills and at various centres. The Murphy-Simpson threader is included in the tests.

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