§ 72. Mr. EDEasked the Minister of Health if he is aware that certain county and county borough councils have announced that they do not intend to admit the Press to meetings of public assistance committees or of the guardians' subcommittees; that under the Local Authorities (Admission of the Press to Meetings) Act, 1908, the Press had a statutory right to attend meetings of boards of guardians, whose work will be taken over by the public assistance committees and the guardians' sub-committees; whether he will make representations to the county and county borough councils that the Press should be admitted to such meetings after 1st April, 1930; and, if it should appear that the right of the Press to attend such meetings is doubtful, whether he will promote legislation to extend the Act of 1908, which already covers education committees, to cover public assistance committees and guardians' sub-committees?
§ Mr. GREENWOODThe reply to the first part of the question is in the negative and to the second part in the affirmative. The duties of boards of guardians are, however, in fact transferred not to 1180 the committees mentioned, but to the councils of counties and county boroughs. In regard to the meetings of these bodies, the Press have the same rights as they have in regard to meetings of boards of guardians. In regard to meetings of the committees, there is power, but not obligation, to admit the Press. The matter has been left by Parliament to local discretion, and I do not think it wise to interfere with that discretion.
§ Mr. EDEWill the right hon. Gentleman undertake to investigate the analogy between these committees and education committees, which were successors of the old school boards, with a view to securing that public knowledge of the work of the Poor Law shall be at least as wide as it has been hitherto?
§ Mr. GREENWOODI will consider that, but I hope that it will be.