§ Earl WINTERTONasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he was aware that, in September, 1910, the Local Government Board sent an inspector to Horsham to view a property designated as suitable for the erection of scattered homes, who reported favourably upon this property, and that, as a result of representations by the Horsham Chamber of Trade and other local bodies adversely to the report, an inquiry was held in March last to hear the objectors at which the same inspector who had originally reported favourably upon the project presided; would he say if this was the usual practice of the Local Government Board; and, if so, whether the regulations would be so altered as to obviate this state of affairs and provide that in future the same individual who made the original report should not subsequently hold an inquiry into his own finding?
§ Mr. BURNSIn November last the Guardians of the Horsham Union, wishing, in accordance with the practice now generally followed, to remove children from the workhouse, Consulted my inspector as to the suitability of two houses in Horsham for the accommodation of the children. The inspector visited the houses, and they appeared to him gene- 18 rally suitable for the purpose. Subsequently some of the owners and occupiers of premises near the two houses wrote to the Board, protesting against the proposal of the guardians, mainly on the ground that their property would be depreciated by the use of these houses for the accommodation of Poor Law children. The Horsham Chamber of Trade also protested against the proposal. On receiving these objections I instructed the inspector to confer with the objectors. The inspector was in no sense called upon to inquire into his own finding. He was merely instructed to discuss with the opponents their objections to a scheme which was otherwise a desirable one.
§ Mr. CROOKSWho is the Horsham Chamber of Trade?