1 фев 1844 г. - Graham's Factory Act

Описание:

The 1833 Factory Act hadn't gone far enough and was still limited by modern standards so Home Secretary, Sir James Graham passed the 1844 Factory Act. The Act stated:
- factory labour forbidden for children under 8
- children 8-13 could work a maximum of 6.5 hours
- women and children 13-18 couldn't work more than 12 hours a day
- safety rules were implemented (e.g. children not allowed to clean moving machinery)
- inspectors had the right to enter factories and schools
- surgeons were appointed to specify the age of children (fees to be paid for by factory owners)
- parents/person benefiting from child labour had to ensure that children attended 3 hours of schooling a day (deducted from child's wages)
- inspectors to supervise education provided and make sure it was competent (regulation was a step forward but enforcement wasn't great as reports from inspectors revealed that many employers were not complying - requirements for certification of age complex, requirement for children to attend classes difficult to enforce, difficult to ensure classes were of good standard)

Limited in that child labour wasn't abolished, educational provisions were limited and young people continued to work long hours.

Demonstrates how the government was prepared to intervene and go further than the Whigs did. Unlike with his economic policies, the Factory Act doesn't have dissaproval from Tory reformers as they wsanted the reform of factories.