§ MR. J. G. TALBOT (Oxford University)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether his attention has been drawn to paragraph 19 of the 4th Report of the Committee on Public Accounts; and whether, pending the future legislation therein referred to, he proposes to take any measures to enforce the better collection of parental contributions towards the maintenance of children detained in reformatory and industrial schools.
§ * SIR M. WHITE RIDLEYA Bill containing provisions relating to the parental contributions referred to was introduced into and passed the House of Lords this session. I am sorry that it was impossible for any further progress to be made with it, but I may say that the inspector and his agents are instructed to use every effort to keep up and improve the present standard of collection; and that, even with the law as it stands, the increased energy devoted to this matter has not been without success.