§ MR. KEIR HARDIE (Merthyr Tydvil)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is aware that the provision of free meals for destitute school children in Manchester came to an end on Friday last for lack of funds; and whether, as the distress is still acute in parts of the city, he proposes taking any action for enabling the educational authority to continue the provision of such meals at the cost of the community.
§ MR. KEIR HARDIEI beg also to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he is aware that in Leeds, where distress due to bad trade is very acute, the Lord Mayor has intimated that after next week the free meals to destitute school children will require to be stopped owing to lack of funds; and whether, in view of the hardship which this will impose 732 on several hundreds of children, he will reconsider his decision not to introduce a Bill this session to empower educational authorities to provide meals for destitute children at the cost of the public.
§ DR. MACNAMARAMay I at the same time ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether, in view of the failure of voluntary effort in several parts of the country to cope with the needs of hungry children, he will now reconsider his decision not to introduce legislation this session to give effect to the unanimous recommendation of the Physical Deterioration (1904) Committee, to the effect that local education authorities should be empowered, out of the funds at their disposal, to provide meals for hungry children.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI have received no information confirming the hon. Member's statement that provision of free meals for destitute school children in Manchester came to an end last Friday from lack of funds. I am advised that it applies to only one, and not to all sources of charitable supply. I am informed, with regard to Leeds, that the Lord Mayor's Fund for free meals was raised to meet exceptional distress, and when that fund was exhausted a fortnight ago the situation was considered by a committee representative of all parts of the city, and the Lord Mayor decided, after careful consideration by the committee, that the distress was no longer exceptional, but that the existing distress was chronic, and could be met by the ordinary charitable agencies. It was resolved to discontinue the fund, and not to try to raise more money. I am informed that no member of the committee demurred to this decision.
§ MR. KEIR HARDIEMay I tell the right hon. Gentleman that my information is official, and free meals were stopped at Manchester last Friday. Will he not reconsider his decision not to introduce a Bill empowering the authorities to provide free meals out of the rates?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe hon. Member for North Camberwell has a Question on the same subject. I am not prepared to give any such pledge.
§ DR. MACNAMARAWill the right hon. Gentleman be willing to receive representations from the hon. Member for Merthyr Tydvil and myself as to the extreme urgency of the question of hungry children, with a view to a reconsideration of the decision not to introduce legislation?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURThe last thing I should refuse to do is to receive information on so important a subject from any Gentleman who is a Member of this House, but I will suggest to the hon. Gentleman that his representations should be primarily addressed to the Board of Education or the Local Government Board.
§ DR. MACNAMARABut the Board of Education have refused to adopt the recommendations of the Physical Deterioration Committee.
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI said I could not give any pledge that we should deal with this matter in the manner which the Committee proposed. I do not think anything that the hon. Gentleman can say will reverse that decision, but I shall be glad to hear him.
§ SIR JOHN GORST (Cambridge University)Could not the Report of the Physical Deterioration Committee be considered by a Select Committee of this House?
§ MR. A. J. BALFOURI will consider that Question, but cannot give a definite Answer at the present time. Perhaps the right hon. Gentleman will put the Question again in a week.