§ MR. O'GRADYI beg to ask the President of the Local Government 53 Board whether he is aware that in the two Poor Law infirmaries at South-wark and Camberwell the accommodation is overtaxed, at the Newington infirmary 859 patients having to share accommodation provided for 786, and at Camberwell 862 are crowded into wards having accommodation only for 819; and, if so, whether, having regard to the fact that these inmates are ailing mainly from lack of food arising from unemployment, it is the intention of the Government to give facilities for the passing of the Unemployed Workmen Bill down for Second Reading on 13th March.
I beg also to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that there is not room for another male inmate in any of the London workhouses without exceeding the certified number, the overcrowding on the men's side of the workhouses of Christchurch, St. George's, Newington, Renfrew Road, and Prince's Road, amounting to 454; whether this state of overcrowding is due to unemployment; and whether it is the intention of the Government to give facilities for the passing of the Unemployed Workmen Bill down for Second Reading on 13th March.
I beg further to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware of the overcrowding in the Lambeth, Southwark, and Camberwell unions, there being 435 in the workhouses above the certified number for which accommodation is provided; whether, in addition to this overcrowding, the three unions named have 672 persons boarded out or temporarily accommodated in other unions; whether this overcrowding and increase of the recipients of pauper relief is due to unemployment; and, if so, whether it is the intention of the Government to give facilities for the passing of the Unemployed Workmen Bill down for Second Reading on 13th March.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSI regret to say that there is some overcrowding in the particular workhouses and infirmaries mentioned in these Questions, although the numbers supplied, to me do not in all cases agree with those given by my hon. 54 friend, I may, however, state that, taking together all the workhouses and infirmaries under the London boards of guardians, there are vacant beds for upwards of 900 inmates and some of these would be available for males. As regards the Unemployed Workmen Bill, I would refer to the Answer I have just given to the Question put by my hon. friend the Member for West Wolverhampton.