§ MR. CLYNESI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that by the 854 casting vote of the chairman of the Eye Guardians the Press representatives were excluded from the last meeting of the Board, after the chairman stating that it was undesirable to give persons an opportunity of advertising themselves; and whether he will inquire if the exclusion prevented publicity respecting the punishment of a girl suffering from a contagious disease, and the overworking and ill-treatment of female inmates.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. JOHN BURNS,) BatterseaI understand that at the meeting referred to the representatives of the Press were, by the casting vote of the chairman, asked to withdraw during the reading of the correspondence only. They were informed that it was competent to them to return immediately the correspondence had been dealt with, but they did not avail themselves of this permission. Had they done so, they would have been present when the punishment book was under discussion. The clerk informs me that their exclusion did not prevent publicity respecting the matters mentioned by my hon. friend, that no question of ill-treatment of any inmates was referred to, and that he is not aware of the existence of any such question.