§ MR. DRAGE (Derby)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he will state what is the number of boys admitted to the Exmouth training ship since its establishment, and what proportion have passed into the Army, the Navy, and the mercantile marine; whether, in view of the satisfactory results obtained by the Metropolitan Asylums Board in the management of the Exmouth, he will call the attention of the boards of guardians throughout the Kingdom to the desirability of making use of the method of 627 training poor law children; and whether he will, if necessary, make application to the Admiralty for other vessels like the Exmouth to be stationed at suitable ports round the coast?
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. H. CHAPLIN,) Lincs., SleafordThe number of boys admitted to the Exmouth training ship since its establishment is 6,528–550 boys remaining still in the establishment. There are, therefore, 5,978 boys who have passed through the period of training on the Exmouth; and of these 5,978 5,065 have gone either into the mercantile marine, the Navy, or the Army in the following proportions:—Mercantile marine, 2,212; Navy, 2,036; Army, 817. I can assure the honourable Member that no efforts on my part will be wanting to encourage and develop a system which, I agree with him, has had most satisfactory results.