§ SIR JOHN GORST (Cambridge University)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been called to an inquest, held at Shoreditch on the 25th of July, on the body of Annie Higgs, a middle-aged widow, and to the fact that her husband had died in November last, leaving her with three children (girls) to maintain; that at first out-relief was given her, but was stopped on her eldest child attaining the age of fourteen; that the coroner's officer stated that he found the room in which the woman and her children lived very clean, but there was neither food nor money there, and very little furniture; and that the medical officer deposed that death was due to heart failure, resulting from general 378 bodily weakness from want of food and heart disease, and that she had had no food recently, the stomach and bowels being empty; and whether he will inquire who is responsible for this widow being thus left to starve to death.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. GERALD BALFOUR,) Leeds, Central. My attention has been drawn to the circumstances of the Case referred to, and I am making inquiry on the subject.