HC Deb 11 June 1901 vol 95 c60
SIR JOHN KENNAWAY (Devonshire, Honiton)

I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if his attention has been directed to the report of the coroner's inquest, held at Birmingham on 3rd June, on the bodies of thirty-one infants found in a cellar at the house of Mrs. Knowles; and seeing that a Select Committee reported in 1894 that the state of the law with respect to the disposal of the bodies of deceased infants and children is unsatisfactory, and made recommendations in regard to its amendment, whether he can hold out hopes of introducing early legislation to deal with the abuses shown to exist.

*THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. WALTER LONG, Bristol, S.)

The reply to the first paragraph of the question is in the affirmative. The matter reported on by the Select Committee referred to is receiving my careful attention. I should be very glad to be able to deal with it, but I fear I cannot hold out any expectation of legislation on the subject during the present session.