§ 42. Sir J. SPEARasked the President of the Local Government Board the number 30 of children above five years of age who are placed by boards of guardians in cottage homes in England and Wales and the number of such children boarded out of the workhouse.
Mr. FISHERI regret that I am unable to give my hon. Friend the precise information which he desires, as the returns obtained by the Department distinguish between children below and above three, not five, years of age. At the end of last year the number of children above three years of age in separate Poor Law institutions for children (including cottage homes, scattered homes and schools) was 30,559. The total number of children boarded out was 10,570; of these the great majority would be over five years of age.