§ MR. BIGGARasked the President of the Local Government Board, Whether Mr. J. D. Bliss, the master of the Poland street Workhouse of the Westminster Union, sent up twelve ounces of suet pudding, about midday on the 22nd of December last, for the dinner of an inmate named Henry Gorman, who died two hours afterwards; whether it was reported to the master, the previous day, that Henry Gorman was in a dying condition; whether it is the duty of the master to visit, every night, the male wards of the workhouse, and whether, on the night of Friday the 21st of December last, the ward in which Henry Gorman was located was so visited by the master; and, whether it was the duty of the master to have seen that Gorman was not left unattended, either during the day or night, after notice was received of his being in a dying condition?
MR. GEORGE RUSSELLAs I stated yesterday, the medical officer not having ordered special diet for this unfortunate man Gorman, though I think he ought to have done so, the ordinary diet was supplied. The master ought to visit the male wards before 9 o'clock every night; but on the night in question he did not do so, as he was at a meeting of the Guardians. The master was informed that the man was very ill, but not that he was dying. Two out of the eight beds in the wards were occupied by wardsmen, and during the day the man had a paid attendant.