§ MR. TALBOT (Oxford University)To ask the President of the Local Government Board whether, in view of the fact that the workhouse belonging to the South Shields Union contains about 1,000 inmates, and that the creed register shows them to be distributed as 1201 follows: Church of England, 600; Roman Catholics, 300; Protestant Nonconformists, 100; and that the guardians continue to refuse to make any payment for religious ministrations to any of these classes of poor persons, many of whom are aged and sick, he will state what steps, if any, the Local Government Board propose to take to enforce obedience to the law on the part of the Board of Guardians.
(Answered by Mr. Walter Long.) In the case of this workhouse, I understand that there are Church of England services on Sundays and alternate Thursdays (for adults), on Wednesdays for children, and once a fortnight for the sick. Two Nonconformist services for adults and one for children are held every week, and there is a Roman Catholic service weekly. On Friday the sick are visited by the clergy of the different denominations. The circumstances of this case have recently been under my consideration. I have directed the special attention of the inspector of the district to the case, and he has conferred both with the guardians and the vicar of the parish on the subject. I have not, however, seen my way to taking any compulsory action in the matter.