§ Sir HILDRED CARLILEasked to what extent the boards of guardians in Great Britain have availed themselves of their permissive powers in regard to emigration in each of the last five years?
§ Mr. BURNSThe number of emigrants, whose emigration by boards of guardians in England and Wales has been authorised by the Local Government Board, in each of the last five years, is as follows:—
The total amount of expenditure authorised by the Local Government Board in respect of this emigration was £49,804.
1907 1,264 1908 587 1909 635 1910 790 1911 1,021 Total for last five years 4,297
§ Sir H. CARLILEAre the figures for Scotland available in the right hon. Gentleman's Department.
§ Mr. BURNSNo; the hon. Member will have to apply to the Secretary for Scotland and the Chief Secretary for Ireland. If he will allow me to do it I will do my best to secure the information.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH - COOKEHave these figures risen since the Unemployed Workmen's Act came into force in 1905?
§ Mr. BURNSThe hon. Member will see by the figures I have given that they have risen in the last few years. The total amount of money spent is not to be compared with what the distress committees have spent in the last five or six years in emigrating some 20,000 people.
§ Mr. HARRY LAWSONIn the figures the right hon. Gentleman has given how many are adults and how many children?
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEThe right hon. Gentleman does not seem to understand me. I asked him a question with regard to boards of guardians, and not with regard to distress committees.
§ Mr. BURNSI can best answer the hon. Member's meticulous question by reading the figures. In 1909 it was 635, and in 1911 it was 1,021, so he will see there has been a very considerable increase in the last three years.