HC Deb 21 July 1902 vol 111 cc764-5
MR. WHITLEY (Halifax)

To ask the President of the Local Government Board if his attention has been called to the action of the Inspector of the Poor of the Glasgow Parish in removing from Glasgow to Halifax a family of eight paupers named Collins, in view of the fact that the statement of Charles Collins that fee was born in Halifax was shown by the Halifax Guardians to be incorrect; if he can take any steps to prevent ratepayers of Halifax from being compelled to maintain those eight paupers in the absence of evidence of the man's birth in that parish; if he can say why the paupers were removed before the Scotch Local Government Board had replied to the protest of the Halifax Guardians, and why the appeal of the latter body was not allowed; and if, in case the guardians send the family back to Glasgow (as the man desires), he will give instructions that no prosecution of the man shall be ordered.

(Answered by Mr. Graham Murray.) The pauper was removed in terms of Section 2 of the Poor Removal Act, 1862, and the Local Government Board for Scotland have no power under the Act of 1898, as the Secretary for Scotland is advised, to review the question of fact on which the Court proceeded in granting the warrant of removal. Assuming the fact to be correct, there were no grounds whatever which would have justified the Local Government Board in sustaining an appeal.