§ Mr. JOWETTasked whether Mr. P. H. Bagenal, Local Government Board inspector, at an emergency meeting of the Wakefield Board of Guardians held on Tuesday, 10th March, where, through the coal strike, there were a number of applicants for relief, urged that test work should be enforced in all cases of able-bodied men; and, if so, what steps he proposes to take to abolish such tests?
§ Mr. BURNSI have seen a report of the meeting of the Wakefield guardians which Mr. Bagenal attended. The Regulations governing the grant of out-relief to able-bodied men contemplate that the relief shall be accompanied by the requirement of a task of work, save in special and exceptional cases. I could not undertake to abolish all labour tests.
§ Mr. LANSBURYIn view of the prevailing distress, and the fact that men— whether they assent to the form of test or not—who receive relief from the guardians are disqualified from voting in the future, may I ask whether it would not be possible for these men to be dealt with by the local authority under the Unemployed Workmen's Act?
§ Mr. BURNSI can assure the hon. Member, and the House generally, that during the present emergency all the local authorities respectively concerned will do their very best, firmly and generously, under all the circumstances, considering the tremendous responsibility that rests upon them.
§ Mr. LANSBURYThe point of my question is whether the President of the Local Government Board will ask the local authorities to set up the machinery of the Unemployed Workmen's Act, and so deal with these men as to prevent their being disfranchised?
§ Mr. BURNSIt is too late to do that. I can assure the hon. Member and the House that great efforts are being made with unity of aim, and, under the circumstances, most generously, to tide over the difficulty.
§ Mr. SNOWDENBut the question is, will the men who accept relief under exceptional circumstances be disqualified thereby?
§ Mr. BURNSYes, but not until the 1st January next. When this emergency is passed then we shall have ample opportunity to devise a method by means of which our policy of disfranchisement due to the acceptance of relief can be considered and properly dealt with.
§ Sir FREDERICK BANBURYAre we to understand from that answer that there is to be a General Election before next January?
§ Mr. JOWETTasked whether the powers of the guardians to give out-relief in cases of sudden and urgent necessity were intended to be, or have been curtailed by the new relief Order; and, if they have been or will be curtailed, will the President of the Local Government Board state in what way this has been done?
§ Mr. BURNSThe powers of boards of guardians in dealing with cases of the kind referred to remain substantially unaffected by the new relief Order.
§ Mr. JOWETTasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will instruct the inspectors at the present juncture not to attempt to interfere with the discretion of the guardians as to giving temporary out-relief without test work to able-bodied men, who are not strikers, with a dependent child or children, in instances of emergency?
§ Mr. BURNSAny departure from the relief Regulations of the kind referred to by the hon. Member would be reported direct to the Local Government Board for their approval. My inspectors will assist boards of guardians to the best of their ability, but they cannot interfere with the exercise by guardians of their discretonary powers. No instructions from me seem needed.
§ Mr. JOWETTasked whether, as the circular issued by the Local Government Board, on the 19th March last, to guardians omits to call attention to the powers of the guardians to give temporary out-relief without a labour test in instances of emergency, the President of the Local Government Board will issue a supplementary circular to the guardians calling attention to the proviso at the end of Section 52 of the Poor Law Amendment Act, 1834, and to Article XII. of the new relief Order as to their powers and as to the duties of relieving officers in cases of sudden or urgent necessity; and whether he will state the duty of the guardians as to giving some kind of out-relief to destitute persons if the workhouse is full?
§ Mr. BURNSI have no reason to suppose that boards of guardians are unaware of the provisions to which the hon. Member refers. I may say that Article XII. of the Order is based upon similar Articles which have been in force for a great number of years; and I am satisfied that relieving officers are generally aware of their duties and responsibilities an cases of the kind in question. As regards the last part of the hon. Member's question, I may say that it is the duty of boards of guardians to relieve all cases of destitution, and the provisions of the new Order are specially designed to facilitate their action in times of exceptional distress.