§ Mr. HENRY WALKERasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he had sanctioned the rules of some boards of guardians restricting midwifery orders to mothers who had already not less than a specified number of children; and, if not, whether he would express his official disapproval to the boards which had embodied this restrictive provision in their rules?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)The reply to the first part of the question is in the negative. I am aware that in the Minority Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress, attention is drawn to the Rules of certain boards of guardians restricting the grant of midwifery orders to mothers with a prescribed number of children. I have made inquiry on the subject, and I find that in some of the cases cited the rule is seldom or never acted upon, whilst in others it does not apply if the relief is given by way of loan. I am still giving attention to the matter.