§ 25. Mr. BRIDGEMANasked the President of the Local Government Board what are the relations between the Board and the committee of the Prince of Wales' Fund?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Herbert Samuel)The Local Government Board have issued some Circulars and conducted some correspondence on behalf of the Government Committee on the Prevention and Relief of Distress, but not on behalf of the Prince of Wales' Fund. As to the relations between the Government Committee and the Executive Committee of the Fund, as explained in the White Paper issued last week, in making grants for the relief of distress among the civil population, the Executive Committee of the Fund will act only on the recommendation of the Government Committee.
§ Mr. WORTHINGTON EVANSCan the right hon. Gentleman say whether the officials of the Local Government Board are authorised to make promises of relief out of the Prince of Wales' Relief Fund?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELA body of inspectors of the Local Government Board, the Board of Education, and the Insurance Commission has been organised in order to keep in touch with local representative committees throughout the country. An inspector is certainly not authorised to make promises of money in any particular case.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANHave the Local Government Board any power of veto?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELNo; certainly not, but the Prince of Wales' Fund Committee have requested the Government Committee—of which I have the honour to be Chairman—to undertake the duty of recommending to them Grants for the relief of civil distress in various parts of the country.
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANDo I understand that the Local Government Board act upon the recommendations of the Government Committee?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELNo; the Executive Committee of the Prince of Wales' Fund acts upon the recommendations of the Government Committee. The Local Government Board, as the Local Government Board, does not come into it at all. For the purpose, however, of con- 854 venience, the machinery of the Local Government Board is used departmentally for the issue of Circulars, and so on.
§ Mr. RUPERT GWYNNECan the right hon. Gentleman say whether any grants have been made?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELA large number of grants have already been made. Some, I think, are under consideration at present, but I cannot say for the moment whether any have been refused.
§ Mr. WORTHINGTON EVANSDoes the right hon. Gentleman know that correspondence and Circulars have been issued by the Local Government Board saying that they are not in a position to make civil grants?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELNo, Sir; the Local Government Board have issued no such Circulars.