HC Deb 31 July 1896 vol 43 cc1249-50
MR. ERNEST FLOWER (Bradford, W.)

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, whether it is his intention to allow the Hanwell School Managers to proceed with the erection of an infant block, in spite of the recommendation of the Poor Law Schools Inquiry Committee that the existing schools should not be enlarged (page 15); is it his intention to allow the Mile End Guardians to proceed with the erection at North Weald of a series of cottages, forming an artificial village for pauper children, in spite of the statements and recommendations of the Poor Law Schools Inquiry Committee; is he aware that each bed in a similar village, Hornchurch, cost £189 5s. 4d. (page 152), and a yearly expenditure of £38 6s. 7d. per child, whereas the boarding-out system cost £13 6s 9d, per child per annum, and with no capital charge; and will he advise the Mile End Guardians to board out the children chargeable to that union before involving the ratepayers in the proposed expense?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. HENRY CHAPLIN,) Lincolnshire, Sleaford

As regards the Hanwell School the latest proposal is the revival of a, previous scheme—suggested, I find, in 1894. But it was only received within the last two days and I have not yet had time to consider it, but I am in general sympathy with the views of the Committee with regard to the larger schools. With respect to the Hamlet of Mile End, I stated last May, that the Board had informed the Guardians in December 1893, that they were prepared to approve of the purchase of land at North Weald as a site for new schools, and an order was subsequently issued authorising the purchase. I further stated that, under the circumstances, if the Guardians desired and thought it necessary to erect schools on this land on the grouped cottage system, I should not feel justified in withholding sanction to their doing so. I also stated on the same occasion that I had no reason to doubt the approximate accuracy of the statements in the Question as to the cost of the schools on the Cottage Home system at Hornchurch and Banstead. The system of the boarding-out of children is one which has the entire sympathy of the Board, but at the same time they attach the greatest importance to a judicious selection of homos and careful supervision of the children boarded out. If the Guardians are willing and able to avail themselves of the system of boarding out to a much larger extent than at the present time, and the circumstances admit of it, the Board would view with favour any such proposal; but to attempt to force a Board of Guardians—assuming that I had the power to do so—to adopt that system, by refusing to sanction any other means of providing for the children is more than I should feel that I was justified in doing.