§ MR. M'LAREN (Leicester, Bosworth)I beg to ask the Under Secretary of State for War if he has any objection to grant a Return of the number of men who, having served in the British Army, are now inmates of workhouses or in receipt of parish relief in the United Kingdom, distinguishing the numbers in England, in Scotland, and in Ireland, respectively; and, in the case of each of the three kingdoms setting forth the number of such men resident in each of the several counties and poor law unions.
§ MR. BRODRICKThe main information for which the honourable Member asks was collected for a night in May, 1896, and was presented to the House last year (Sessional Paper, 1889). As it was thought that a Return for a night in early summer might be too favourable, the same information has been obtained for a night in last December. The resulting Return will be presented next week. The adoption of the form proposed by the honourable Member would involve recasting the Return which it is too late now to do.