§ SIR H. BEMROSE (Derby)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if his attention has been drawn to the vote of censure passed at a public meeting of ratepayers, held in Limehouse Town Hall on the decision of the Stepney Guardians to build blocks containing 60 beds each for the children chargeable to that union, instead of dealing with them by the cheaper methods of boarding-out, emigration, and scattered homes; and whether he intends to support the action of the guardians, which is contrary to the recommendation of the Departmental Committee on Poor Law schools?
THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARDThe answer to the first part of the Question is in the affirmative. With regard to the second part the guardians propose to provide the accommodation required partly by separate buildings, which are known as blocks, containing 60 children each, and partly by what are called cottage homes, containing 15 children each. The Local Government Board regard with approval the Cottage Homes system, and in view of the admirable results which have been obtained at the Girls' School at Banstead Road, Sutton, and elsewhere, by the block system, they have seen no reason to disapprove of the proposal of the guardians generally, and they have, therefore, approved of the purchase of the site. They are, however, awaiting the details of the scheme.