§ Mr. F. ROBERTSasked the Home Secretary the number of cases since the passing of the Factories Act, 1901, in which the Home Office has taken steps to administer the Act in default of the local authority satisfactorily carrying out the duties with which it is entrusted under the Statute?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThere are two provisions in the Act of 1901 under which the Home Office has power to take action in default of the local authority. One is Section 4, under which the Home Secretary can authorise an inspector to carry out all the duties of the local authority both under the Factory Act and under the Public Health Acts in relation to factories, workshops and workplaces. This is a power which would only be used1980W in extreme cases, and there has been no instance of its use since 1901. The other provision is contained in Section 5 and empowers the inspector to serve a notice on the local authority of default in any factory or workshop in regard to any matters within the jurisdiction of the local authority, and if the necessary steps are not taken by the local authority to get the default remedied, the inspector can take action in its place. A large number of notices are served every year by the inspector under this Section, and the hon. Member will find the particulars in Table 4 of the Chief Inspector's Annual Report. 7,086 such notices were served in 1925.