§ MR. SCLATER-BOOTH (Hants, Basingstoke)asked the President of the Local Government Board, If he is aware that the annual inspections by the Metropolitan Asylums Board of the four non-infectious establishments under their control are followed by entertainments on a lavish scale to the managers and their friends at the expense of the metropolitan ratepayers; whether it is the fact that, at a recent meeting of the Board, Sir Edmund Currie, the Vice Chairman, estimated the cost of each of these four annual entertainments at £100, and stated that the inspection, which was the pretext for their being given, was for all practical purposes worthless; and, whether, under these circumstances, the Local Government Board will for the future disallow the cost of these festivities?
§ THE PRESIDENT (Mr. STANSFELD) (Halifax)It has been the practice for the Managers of the Metropolitan Asylum District to have annual inspections of the Leavesden, Caterham, and Darenth Asylums, and the ship Enmouth. The Chairmen and other influential members of the Boards of Guardians in the Metropolis, and representatives of the Press are invited to attend on these occasions, and refreshments are provided. 307 The cost of the four annual inspections in 1885 amounted to £245. This is a considerable reduction upon the amount expended in some previous years, and the Board trust that the expenditure will be still further reduced. It is to be borne in mind that these annual inspections are the occasions when the Asylums are officially visited by the Managers who are not on the Committees for the management of those Asylums.