§ MR. J. JOHNSON (Gateshead)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware of the amount of distress prevailing in Gates-head through unemployment; whether he is aware that the local distress committee have expressed their inability to deal with it, and that the distress committee have opened a fund; and whether to relieve the suffering, he will agree to grant an amount out of the surplus funds voted by Parliament under the Unemployed Act, 1905.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSI am aware of the circumstances at Gateshead, and that the distress committee have appealed for subscriptions. The money voted by Parliament last session for the purposes of the Unemployed Workmen Act was for the service of the financial year ending on 31st March last, and consequently no payment out of it can now be made. I may add that there is a strong and united administration by the public bodies in the borough, and that they appear to have matters well in hand.