Home Office.

Part of Orders of the Day — Civil Estimates and Estimates for Revenue Departments and Supplementary Estimate, 1932. – in the House of Commons at on 6 July 1932.

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Photo of Mr Rhys Davies Mr Rhys Davies , Westhoughton

The fact that proceedings followed does not destroy the fact that it happened. I know the hon. Gentleman does not stand for it, but it is worth while pointing out what can happen in a country like this in spite of all our legal enactments. Here is another case: In a case in the East Lancashire district women and young persons were employed for a fortnight from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. All the 80 persons employed in the factory have worked these hours. If these cases are found out by an average of one visit per annum to the factories by the inspectors, what must happen when the inspectors are not there? Let me say one or two words on the point raised by the hon. Gentleman, and I am sure the Under-Secretary is with me on this issue. 1,563 charges of illegal practices were brought into the courts, and the gross fines imposed amounted to only £3,098, approximately £2 each. In Moscow I suppose they would be shot. Here they get a fine of as. 6d. or 5s. The reason may be that there are too many employers of labour on the magisterial bench dealing with these cases. I know that the Home Office cannot help that, but I think that magisterial benches in this country ought to take a very much more serious view of infractions of industrial laws than they are doing at the moment.

I want to conclude by asking one or two more questions, one of which relates to the Truck Acts. The hon. Gentleman knows full well that there has been considerable discussion in Lancashire over the administration of the Truck Acts. There is reported in this document a case during 1931 where deductions amounting to 17s. 6d. in one week were made from a worker's wages because he was alleged to have spoiled the material he produced. Seventeen and sixpence wages in some cases is nearly all the worker gets, and is too much by far. In any case, I wish Parliament had come to the conclusion that efficiency cannot be got from workpeople by fining them. There are other methods of securing efficiency apart from that. I have concluded my observations on that factory report, except to say that I hope that the Home Office will not at any time be lax in pursuit of those who break some of the very excellent pieces of legislation that we have for safeguarding the interests of our workpeople.

4.30 p.m.

Turning from that, I want to say one thing on another subject and then I will sit down. In 1931 I am informed there were about 191,000 persons killed or injured in street accidents caused by vehicles. About 50,000 of those were pedestrians. I would like the hon. Gentleman to follow me in this rather difficult point.. I am informed that the police in the Metropolitan district have received information as to how to deal with case of injury in this connection, but this is the result, not only in London, but, I believe, elsewhere—