§ MR. HOGAN (Tipperary, Mid)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if he is aware that there is no provision made at Folkestone for the relief of the casual poor; that the nearest casual ward is placed at Elham, six miles from Folkestone on a cross country road and two miles from the nearest railway station; that the casual ward accommodation at Elham is utterly inadequate to meet the requirements of the casuals sent from Folkestone, Sandgate, Hythe, &c, who are occasionally huddled, men and women alike, into the stable to sleep; and if, considering that Folkestone contributes two-thirds of the rate and only returns 12 out of 35 Guardians, the Local Government Board will consider the advisability of dissociating Folkestone from the rural districts and granting the borough a Union of its own?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. H. H. FOWLER,) Wolverhampton, E.The casual ward for the Elham Union, in which Folkestone is comprised, is situated at Elham, which is about live miles from Folkestone Town Hall and about a mile from Lyminge Station. I am informed by the Guardians that the instructions to the relieving officer, on which be always acts, are to send the aged and infirm by train and the very ill by covered conveyance, and in cases of extreme indisposition to provide accommodation at Folkestone. The vagrant wards at Elham are ordinarily sufficient; but the number of vagrants has largely increased, in consequence, it is believed, to a considerable extent, of a discontinuance of a task of work. The number relieved this year is not far short of double what it was at the corresponding period of last year. When the number of men has exceeded the accommodation in the wards, they have been accommodated in stables on the workhouse premises, on platforms specially prepared and covered with mattresses. It has only been on very rare occasions that the accommodation for women in the wards has been inadequate. I see no reason for constituting Folkestone a separate Union. If the circumstances require that an additional casual ward should be provided at Folkestone, the Guardians can do this.