§ MR. MOSSI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he can state how many pauper children (giving the number of boys and girls separately) chargeable to any union or parish in Wales were boarded-out in homes beyond the limits of such union or parish in the year 1900, and how many orphan or deserted children (giving the numbers of boys and girls separately) were relieved by the guardians of any 1319 union or parish in Wales by boarding such children in homes within the limits of the union or separate parish to which they are chargeable; and seeing that the Local Government Board have power to appoint lady inspectors to supervise and report upon the boarding out of pauper and orphan and deserted children, will he state how many such inspectors have been appointed in England and Wales respectively; and, if none have been appointed in Wales, whether, having regard to the fact that practically the whole of Wales is now within the district of one poor law inspector only (instead of two as formerly), he will consider the advisability of appointing one or more lady inspectors in Wales to superintend and report upon the boarding out by the guardians of pauper, orphan and deserted children.
§ MR. WALTER LONGReturns are made to the Local Government Board as to the state of pauperism on the 1st January and 1st July in each year. According to the Returns for 1st July and 1st January last there were no children chargeable to unions in Wales who were boarded out beyond the limits of the unions, but there were on the latter date 497 children boarded out in homes in Wales within the unions to which they were chargeable. The Returns do not show how many of these were boys and how many girls. There are two lady inspectors whose duty it is to inspect and report upon the work of committees established for boarding out children beyond the limits of the union to which they are chargeable. Wales is included in the district of one of these inspectors, and if a committee of this sort were established there it would be the duty of this lady to inspect and report on the work of the committee. At present, however, there are no such committees in Wales.