§ MR. C. J. S. DODD (Essex, Maldon)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he will consider the propriety of revising the Poor Law Orders, so as to allow of a discretion which they do not now possess, in Boards of Guardians, under proper restrictions, when unable to find work for them, to grant for a short period (say three weeks) out-door relief to able-bodied men and their families, where such men are temporarily unemployed, or whether he will endeavour to obtain the opinion of the Committee which it is intended to appoint on the Unemployed thereon, and upon the general question of revising the Poor Law Orders, so as to give further discretion to Boards of Guardians?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. SHAW-LEFEVRE, Bradford, Central)It appears to mo that the provisions of the Orders at present in force with reference to relief will necessarily be the subject of consideration by the Committee on the Unemployed, as their appointment extends to considering and reporting as to the powers at present possessed by Local Authorities, and whether any steps should be taken, by changes in legislation or administration, with a view to dealing with the evils arising from want of employment.