BRITISH FACTORIES BILL

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22016, 13 February 1937, Page 15

BRITISH FACTORIES BILL

♦- —— QUALIFIED WELCOME BY THE OPPOSITION (Bamsß (omnu. wimxess.) RUGBY, February 11. The Home Secretary ' (Sir John Simon.) moved the second reading in the House of Commons of the Factories , Bill, a comprehensive measure of 152 clauses and four schemes. In giving the bill a qualified welcome for the Opposition, Mr J. R. Clynes disclosed that it had been his ambition as a one-time "halftimber" and factory boy to bring in a measure revising the Factory Acts and his last communication as Home Secretary to Mr Ramsay Macßbnald before the resignation of Mr Mac-, Donald's Labour administration in; 1931 had been a request for time in i Parliament for the purpose. The bill [ •was one for treatment in committee,: when the Opposition, although it; would have many amendments to; propose, would try to be helpful. Sir John Simon described the bill; as an effort to frame an improved charter for the protection of 7,000,000 men, women and young persons,, and for the promotion of industrial efficiency and prosperity. By the Factories Bill, the various; distinctions which ■exist in the present; law between factories and workshops, and between textile and non-textile factories are abolished, and only one term, "factories," is employed. The part of the bill dealing with general pre/visions about health strengthens the existing provisions and introduces new proposals, which provide: for securing] in every factory sufficient and suitable lighting and power. They require reasonable arrangements to be made for the medical supervision of ; workers in certain circumstances, as, for example, in cases of outbreaks of: disease in particular factories. In the part dealing with general provisions about safety, the provisions of the existing law have been largely recast and the bill contains several new proposals requiring, or giving power to require, the adoption of various safety devices or arrangements for the protection of workers, particularly in work involving special risks. Genera] and special provisions about the welfare of workers are set out and new proposals are made for the notification and investigation of industrial accidents and diseases. ■ ! The part of the bill dealing with; conditions of work for women and young persons proposes greatly reduced hours.