§ MR. MACALEESEI beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he has seen the Report of the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, wherein it is stated that there were investigated last month 1,965 complaints of neglect, starvation, ill-treatment, and other wrongs upon children, that 1,837 of those complaints were found to be true, and affected the welfare of a large number of children of various ages, and that 18 of the children so affected died; and, 745 will the Government consider the propriety of making more stringent the laws in existence for the protection of helpless children?
§ SIR MATTHEW WHITE RIDLEYMy attention had not previously been called to the Report referred to. The Prevention of Cruelty to Children Act of 1894, which consolidated and extended previous legislation on the subject, was passed after much discussion in Parliament, and I have not as yet seen any reason to suppose that it is ineffective for its purpose. No representations to the effect that the law requires strengthening have been made to the Home Office by magistrates or others concerned in its administration, but, should any such representations be received, they will, of course, be carefully considered by me.