HC Deb 14 July 1898 vol 61 cc933-4
MR. H. HEATON (Canterbury)

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that a soldier in the Yorkshire regiment stationed at Aldershot, and giving his name as James Wade, in July last became a lunatic, and according to his attestation paper that he was born in one of the parishes (of the Blean Union) situate in Canterbury, was sent there in order to be chargeable on the Canterbury Town Council; whether inquiries were there upon made by the town clerk of Canterbury who ascertained that Wade's real name was Patrick Ward; that he had previously enlisted in the Army, giving at his first enlistment his birthplace as the Curragh Camp, Ireland; that the certificate of his birth in Ireland had since been procured; and that the lunatic had never gained a settlement by residence or otherwise in England; whether he is aware that upon these facts being submitted to the Secretary of State for War, and an application being made to remove the pauper from Canterbury, where he had obviously been sent under a mistake, the matter was referred to the Local Government Board; and whether he will take steps to remedy the wrong done to Canterbury in this matter?

THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. H. CHAPLIN,) Lincs, Sleaford

I received from the Canterbury Town Council last year a copy of correspondence that had passed between them and the War Department, and the facts as stated in the Question accord generally with those mentioned in the correspondence. The difficulty appears to have arisen from the order of the War Office, in which they were, no doubt, justified at the time, but which seems to have been based upon what was subsequently shown to be misinformation. The War Office are mistaken in supposing that the final adjustment of this case is a matter within the purview of the Local Government Board, and, while I can quite understand and sympathise with the request of my honourable Friend, we have no authority to give any directions, and no power, I am sorry to say, to render the town council any assistance whatever in this case.