MR. GATHORNE HARDYasked the late President of the Poor Law Board, Whether he is correctly reported to have said to a deputation from Islington that "the Metropolitan Asylums Board could not do more work in the way of providing hospitals for Small Pox cases;" and, if so, upon what grounds he made the statement?
§ MR. GOSCHEN, in reply, said, he had not made the statement in those broad terms in which he was reported to have spoken. He pointed to the extreme difficulty which the Metropolitan Asylums Board had at the present moment, on account of having two large lunatic asylums and three or four small pox establishments on their hands. He also stated that they experienced great difficulty in obtaining sufficient men to work on committees for obtaining sites and superintending plans. That statement he made on the authority of members of the Metropolitan Asylums Board.
§ Afterwards—
§ MR. PEEKasked the Secretary to the Poor Law Board, Whether it is the 1873 intention of that Board to erect a Small Pox Hospital upon any portion of the surplus lands of Battersea Park; and whether any application has been made to the First Commissioner of Works for a grant of land for that purpose?
§ MR. HIBBERTsaid, in reply, that the Poor Law Board had made application to the First Commissioner of Works to ascertain the terms on which the Government would grant land for the purpose of building a small pox hospital thereon. At the same time, there was no present intention on the part either of the Metropolitan Asylums Board or the Poor Law Board to erect a small pox hospital on that site. By saying so, he was not precluding the Poor Law Board from taking any steps that might be necessary.