View report page

23
“The fact that the health of workers in factories
is under one Ministry and the health of these same
workers outside the factories is under another
Ministry is essentially bad.”
Today, I am afraid that such a statement might be
held to be verging very dangerously on policy. Perhaps
I was more courageous when I was young, perhaps the
times have changed, but there can be no doubt that
what I said in 1929 is still as true today as it was then.
I am not in a position to assess the essential
necessity of asbestos and its products to our national
economy, but I am firmly of the opinion it is a deadly
and dangerous commodity, and that unless those who
are charged with the responsibility of safeguarding the
health of the people in the industry can give positive
assurances that they have now after all these years
removed every possible danger, the processing of
asbestos, except in so far as its products are essential
to our national economy, should be barred.
(b) Scales of Assessment.
Only minor changes in your scales have been
adopted during the year.
It is, however, worth recording that the Education
Act, 1944, provides that free medical treatment shall
be available for all pupils in attendance at school.
(d) Employment.
In previous years this part of my Report has been
entitled “unemployment,” but at the suggestion of the
Manager of the Barking Branch of the Ministry of
Labour and National Service, with whom there has