§ MR. BENN (Tower Hamlets, St. George's)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been directed to proceedings taken against Mrs. Carter on the 7th March, at the Central Criminal Court, for manslaughter, in respect of the death of an infant which had been in her care, and to the remarks of Mr. Justice Hawkins upon the case, in which he says that the Act does not extend its protection to places where one infant only is kept, and expresses his opinion that its provisions should be extended to places of the description kept by the woman Carter, and that persons who take charge of, or adopt, one child only, should be registered and under strict supervision; and whether Her Majesty's Government would undertake to introduce a measure for the amendment of the Infant Life Protection Act in the direction indicated by the Judge?
§ MR. ASQUITHMy attention has been called to the case referred to by my hon. Friend, though I have not seen the remarks of Mr. Justice Hawkins, as they are not reported in any account which I have seen. I believe the matter was dealt with in a Bill which was introduced in 1890 by the hon. Member for the Hallam Division of Sheffield, and it was referred to a Select Committee, where its application was so restricted that it was not thought expedient to proceed with it. As the question seems to raise difficult and controversial points, I regret that the Government have not the time at their disposal for the introduction of a Bill for dealing with this matter; but, should the hon. Member introduce a Bill, I would be very glad to give it favourable consideration.