§ 76. Mr. VIANTasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to resolutions passed by the Staffordshire Joint Vagrancy Committee that the Tamworth board should provide bedsteads in the casual wards, as the present sleeping arrangements are unsatisfactory, and that the Tamworth board should provide additional staff to properly supervise the casuals; whether he was aware that the Tamworth Board of Guardians have pressed for the reopening of the Lichfield casual wards, so as to relieve the pressure at Tam-worth; will be state the distances of the Tamworth and Lichfield wards from the wards at present open north, south, east and west of these; and whether, seeing that the Lichfield wards were in a very satisfactory condition when closed with the sanction of the Minister, he will advise their reopening at once?
§ Sir K. WOODThe resolution referred to by the hon. Member was passed by the Warwickshire Joint Vagrancy Committee on which the Tamworth Guardians are represented and has been communicated to my right hon. Friend. The distance between Tamworth and Lichfield wards and other wards which are open varies from six to 14 miles on the main lines of approach. As regards the last part of the question, the Staffordshire Joint Vagrancy Committee, after careful consideration, have expressed the view that it is unnecessary to reopen the Lichfield wards. The Warwickshire Vagrancy Committee concur and my right hon. Friend sees at present no reason to differ from this conclusion.