HC Deb 26 March 1896 vol 39 cc168-9
MR. EDWARD MOON (St. Pancras, N.)

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, if he could state to the House what is the lowest age at which half-time children are employed in the Poor Law schools; what is the nature of the work on which such children are employed; and whether it can be described as useful as means to a domestic training?

LORD WARKWORTH (Kensington, S.)

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, whether the half-time children in the Poor Law schools are ever employed eight, nine, and ten hours at manual labour; and whether any reports have been received from inspectors as to the capacity of the children to derive any benefit from instruction after so many hours spent at manual labour.

*MR. JOHN GRETTON (Derbyshire, S.)

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, what is the educational standard laid down and what is the standard observed with regard to half-timers in Poor Law schools?

MR. GEOFFREY DRAGE (Derby)

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, whether any Reports have been received by him on the subject of the children in the Poor Law schools being worked as half-timers under the statutory age; and, if so, from what sources such Reports have come; and, whether he will lay any such i Reports upon the Table?

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

I am unable to state the lowest age at which half-time children are employed in Poor Law schools, but children under the age of 11 should not be exempted from school attendance for industrial work; and the attention of the Guardians would be directed to any case, in which the Local Government Board were informed that this was done. There is in a large number of workhouses industrial instruction. It is of various kinds, according to the circumstances. Employment of the boys is in industrial work, under a baker, tailor, shoemaker, or carpenter, on gardening, farming, and domestic work; the girls in needlework, domestic and laundry work, cooking, etc. The work is generally to be regarded as useful to the children.

MR. A. J. MUNPELLA (Sheffield, Brightside)

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman when the Report of the Committee on Metropolitan Poor Law Schools will be laid on the Table of the House?

MR. CHAPLIN

I am under the impression that it has quite recently been laid on the Table, and that it is almost printed.