MR. HERBERT (Buckinghamshire, Wycombe)To ask the President of the Local Government Board how many members of boards of guardians are women; and in how many cases the election of such women members was a contested election.
(Answered by Mr. John Burns) According to the latest figures in my possession the number of lady guardians in 1,093, of whom 1,050 were elected and forty-three were co-opted. Some of the Returns, however, for the present year have not at present been received, and
§ number is as follows:— Number of patents in force in the United Kingdom on the 1st day of January, 1907, 68,367.
§ Patents which have been prolong, numbering in all three.
§ in these cases the numbers have been taken from last year's Returns. I am not able to say in how many cases the election of the women who are serving as guardians was contested.