§ Mr. JOWETT (for Mr. T. F. Richards)asked the President of the Local Government Board whether he is aware that Lena Steward, recently engaged by the guardians of the Sherborne Union as a nurse, has been compelled to resign her position upon the advice of the medical attendant, G. R. Beckett, M.A., M.D., medical officer, Sherborne Union House, and who has been certified as unfit for such duties in future by H. Collier, L.R.C.P., L.R.C.S., of St. Paul's-terrace, Wolverhampton, and also certified as being unfit for future service as an infirmary nurse by H. Malet, M.D., senior physician, Wolverhampton and Staffordshire Hospital, and that this nurse has been engaged at the Wolverhampton-workhouse five years and eight months, at Wolstanton and Burslem workhouse one year, at Dudley workhouse two years, at Newton Abbot one year and two months, and at Rugby workhouse two years, or a total service of 11 years and 10 months, and completed 14 years' service at Sherborne workhouse by last December; that the Sherborne guardians have refused to recommend this nurse for pension in accordance with the Poor Law Officers' Superannuation Act, 1896, Sections (2) and (3); whether he has received an appeal on behalf of this nurse, and what was the nature of the appeal and also the reply, because up to the 10th of the month the applicant had received no reply; and what action he intends to take in the matter to give this nurse the benefit of the Act under which she has been working so long?
§ Mr. BURNSI would refer my hon. Friend to the answer which I gave to and identical question he put to me on this subject on Monday last. I am awaiting a reply to the letter which I sent to Miss-Steward, asking for her observations on the representations made by the guardians with regard to her appeal.