§ Mr. MANDERasked the Minister of Labour the policy of the Government with regard to the regulation of hours for salaried employés, which subject is to be discussed at the session of the International Labour Office at Geneva in June; and whether it is intended that the Report recently prepared by the International Labour Office shall be published?
§ Miss BONDFIELDThe policy of the Government is stated in the reply sent to the International Labour Office Questionnaire and published in the "Blue Report" on Hours of Work of Salaried Employés, which is on sale at the London branch of the International Labour Office. The text of the reply is as follows
His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is most anxious to join in taking all possible steps to safeguard the hours and conditions of work of all classes of employés. It wishes, however, to avoid any action which will not produce effective international results. It is of opinion that the conditions of those employed in the wide range of miscellaneous occupations of very different kinds covered by the Questionnaire are not susceptible of being dealt with in a single instrument, whether a Draft Convention or a Draft Recommendation. It feels that, if a workable convention or recommendation is to be achieved, a closer and more detailed examination must be made of the circumstances in which each class of work is carried on and that more adequate consideration must be given to those circumstances before proposals for the international regulation of hours can be formulated. The necessary amount of information is not in the possession of His Majesty's Government and, therefore, they are not in a position to make detailed proposals, as required by the Questionnaire, on the method of regulating hours of work.His Majesty's Government has come to the conclusion, therefore, that it is not in a position to furnish detailed replies to the Questionnaire, and that it is not practicable for it at the present time to proceed further than to attempt to secure the adoption of a recommendation providing for an 2190W inquiry being undertaken by the various States' members in their respective territories into the conditions of employment in the distributive trades. It would, however, be prepared to give favourable consideration to such extension of the scope of inquiry as may be generally agreed upon. In reaching this decision His Majesty's Government is actuated by a desire to make effective progress in the application of international standards of working conditions.