MR. BRNTONasked the President of the Local Government Board the following questions with reference to the circular of January 22nd last, addressed by that Board to Boards of Guardians, proposing they should undertake to receive a certain class of pauper lunatics from asylums into workhouses on suitable conditions; as to the number of replies of a favourable character received from Boards of Guardians on this subject; and, how many Boards of Guardians have stated that they consider it absolutely undesirable to have such cases transferred to workhouses?
THE PRESIDENTSir, we have communicated with the Guardians of several 123 Unions respecting cases of pauper lunatics in county lunatic asylums, who, as we were informed by the Commissioners in Lunacy, might, in the opinion of the medical superintendent of the asylum, be adequately and more economically provided for in the workhouse. The result of these communications is that, as regards 84 Unions, the answers have been that the Guardians were willing to receive the patients if they were returned to the workhouse. Prom 258 Unions we have received replies to the effect that the Guardians for various reasons were not prepared to receive the patients. In some cases the reason assigned was that the patients had been returned as dangerous since the report was made by the medical superintendent; in others, that the workhouse accommodation would not admit of their reception without much inconvenience; and in others, that if the patients were returned the Guardians would have to incur the expense of an additional officer. There were also 37 Unions in which the Guardians were favourable to receiving some of the numbers, but not others.