§ MR. WILLIAM RUTHERFORDI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to the system of preparation of accounts and returns of Poor Law Administration, which makes it impossible to obtain statistics of the number of children born of weak-minded, imbecile, or insane mothers in the workhouses and other institutions subject to the supervision of the Department; and whether, having regard to the importance of the subject of heredity, he will undertake that instructions shall be given to make such alterations in the system that in future information to this effect will be available.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. WAITER LONG,) Bristol, S.I am afraid that there are practical difficulties in this matter. Thus there is the question what persons are to be deemed "weak-minded" or "imbecile," and different views on this subject would probably be taken by the officers of different institutions. I will, however, consider whether anything can be done to attain the object which my hon. friend has in view.