§ MR. H. J. WILSON (Yorks, W.R., Holmfirth)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been directed to the case of Mrs. Wainwright, now of Sheffield, who applied to Mr. James Lindsay, tie superintendent registrar at Sunderland, for the certificate of the birth of her child born in that town; whether he is aware that the superintendent registrar stated that there was no such name in the district specified in the period specified; that on this woman travelling to 480 Sunderland, the superintendent registrar found the entry of birth at the time and place which he had formerly denied, and gave the certificate accordingly; and that the certificate is practically illegible and technically irregular; whether he is also aware that Mrs. Wainwright complained to the Registrar General, enclosing the certificate and other documents, but that the chief clerk to the Registrar General returned these documents with an official reply defending the superintendent registrar at Sunderland; and is he aware that, in an interview which the honourable Members for the Brightside Division and for the Holmfirth Division had with the Registrar General and the chief clerk, it was shown that the latter had never adequately examined the documents forwarded to him by Mrs. Wainwright; whether he will take steps to secure the better discharge of their duties by the superintendent registrar of Sunderland and the chief clerk of the Registrar General; and whether there is any fund from which compensation can be made for the expenses incurred by this woman in her journey to Sunderland, which was necessitated by the neglect of the superintendent registrar?
§ THE SECRETARY TO THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (MR. T. W. RUSSELL,) Tyrone, S.I am informed by the Registrar General that the statements in the first two paragraphs are substantially correct. As to the first part of the third paragraph, the Registrar General states that his chief clerk did not defend the conduct of the superintendent registrar, and as to the second part, he holds the complaint against his officer to be not proven. As regards the fourth paragraph, neither of the officers referred to is in any way subject to my jurisdiction. I am not aware that there is any such fund as that referred to in the fifth paragraph.
§ MR. H. J. WILSONCan the honourable Gentleman say to whom these officers are subject?
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLI do not know that I can. I understand the Local Government Board has some connection with the Registrar General's office, but I do not know that it has any control 481 over the officers. Questions affecting them are undoubtedly answered by the Local Government Board.
§ MR. H. J. WILSONCan any steps be taken by the Local Government Board or Registrar General to induce the Sunderland registrar to write his certificate legibly?
§ MR. T. W. RUSSELLNo, Sir; the Local Government Board are unable to take any such action.