§ 77. Mr. THOMASasked the President of the Local Government Board whether towards the end of the year 1911 Miss Lea, Local Government Board inspector, visited the Derby workhouse infirmary and reported upon the necessity of immediate alterations of an administrative character; whether her report was submitted to the chief inspector for the district, who, in turn, submitted the same to the chairman of the house committee in a letter marked private and confidential, and in a further letter intimated that this procedure received the approval of the Local Government Board; and, having regard to the fact that each member of the guardians is responsible to his constituents, and, further, is equally responsible with other members for the expenditure of public money, whether this procedure on the part of a Government inspector in ignoring the guardians as a representative body received his sanction; and, if not, will he take steps to prevent a recurrence of such action?
§ Mr. BURNSThe report of the lady inspector was made after a visit in November, 1912, and by direction of the Local Government Board the contents of the report were brought to the notice of the house committee by the general inspector of the district. About fifteen guardians were present at the meeting of the house committee at which this was done, and the inspector gave the chairman of the committee a copy of the report, asking him to treat it as a matter dealt with in committee. The action of the inspector 1648 has my approval. It is obvious that there are often matters which are more properly dealt with in committee and not by the full board.
§ Mr. THOMASDoes that mean that the guardians are exempt from the responsibility of expenditure then?