§ Mr. RAMSAY MACDONALDasked the Prime Minister, whether he will give an assurance that the proposed new Poor Law Order regarding outdoor relief, or any modification of it shall not be issued until this House has had an opportunity of discussing it?
§ The PRIME MINISTERAn opportunity for discussing the proposed Order, which at present is only a draft and must not be assumed to be in its final shape, will arise on the Vote for the Local Government Board. My right hon. Friend does not propose to put any such Order into operation until there has been such an opportunity.
§ Mr. TIMOTHY DAVIESasked the President of the Local Government Board if he will state the number of persons over seventy years of age who were in receipt of outdoor relief in England and Wales the first week in December, 1910, and the first week in February, 1911, and the total amount granted in relief to such persons in each of the two weeks?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)I cannot give precise figures for the dates selected in the question, but propose shortly to present a statement giving particulars in regard to persons in receipt of Poor Law relief on 31st December, 1910, who received old age pensions and ceased to be chargeable to guardians during the four weeks ended 28th January, 1911. The statement will distinguish persons in receipt of indoor relief from those in receipt of outdoor relief, and will give the cost of out-relief to the latter class during the last complete week of their chargeability.
§ Mr. GOULDINGasked how many boards of guardians have as yet passed resolutions disapproving of the draft Relief Regulation Order?
§ Mr. BURNSI have received resolutions from some twenty-five boards of guardians disapproving the order referred to, and from nine other boards of guardians criticising it on particular points. The total number of boards of guardians in England and Wales is 644.
§ Mr. GOULDINGasked whether, before the right hon. Gentleman sanctions the proposed Relief Regulation Order, he intends to take steps to ensure that able-bodied men out of employment, who have been forced to enter the workhouse as a condition of relief, shall not be put on to tasks such as oakum picking and stone breaking, which are economically useless?
§ Mr. BURNSBoards of guardians can adopt particular tasks of work for inmates of workhouses without the sanction of the Local Government Board, but, as I stated in my reply to the hon. Member's question on the 16th instant, the Board have for many years past discouraged oakum picking as a task. The more usual task at the present time is employment on the land. Stone-breaking is more commonly employed as a labour test in connection with casual paupers and out-door relief. The draft Out-Relief Order which has been submitted to me does not affect the question of tasks of work in workhouses.
§ Mr. GOULDINGasked whether, in view of the fact that the proposed Relief Regulation Order is intended to drive able-bodied applicants for relief into the workhouse as a condition of relief, and that both Reports of the Poor Law Commission condemned the present workhouse methods of dealing with the able-bodied unemployed, before signing the Order the President of the Local Government Board will afford the House of Commons an opportunity for discussing the whole question?
§ Mr. BURNSAs I have already stated in answer to previous questions, I have no intention of issuing the Order referred to until boards of guardians and other similar bodies have had time to consider it I may, perhaps, add that I do not accept the interpretation which the hon. Member would put upon the Order.
§ Mr. H. W. FORSTERHas this been submitted to all boards of guardians?