§ 36. Mr. W. THORNEasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he can give copies of the Statistical Returns issued by the Poor Law inspectors at the public expense during the last three years; and whether he will arrange that the Returns of the cost of pauperism about to be issued shall show in each union the rates to population of indoor and outdoor paupers, respectively, as it was shown in the Return of lath June, 1892?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)The Returns to which the hon. Member refers are circulated by the general inspectors within their districts to assist the guardians by placing before them general comparisons of particular phases of their administration. They are not in the ordinary sense official returns, and I should not propose to treat them as such. Figures showing the rates of indoor and outdoor paupers to population come more appropriately in the January and July Returns of numbers of paupers. Rates of this kind are shown for each union in the Census year and similar figures based on estimated populations are given in respect of union counties in the intercensal years.