§ 28. Mr. GEORGE HALLasked the Minister of Health how many persons are in receipt of poor relief in the county of Glamorgan, giving the figures for each Poor Law union separately; and the corresponding figures for the years 1913, 1920, 1925, 1926, and 1927, respectively?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs the reply contains a number of figures, I will, with the hon. Member's permission, circulate a table in the OFFICIAL REPORT.
§ Following is the table:
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe last return made to the Department on this subject, in May, 1925, showed that a task of stone breaking was then required when appropriate in 143 casual wards in England and Wales outside London; the amount of stone to be broken and the size to which it is to be broken are, subject to the requirements of the Casual Poor (Relief) Order, 1925, matters for the decision of each board of guardians according to the 803 nature of the stone and I have no information on the subject.
§ Mr. W. THORNEDoes not the right hon. Gentleman think that it is an inhuman method of making men do labour?
§ Mr. THORNEYou go and have a try!
§ Mr. LANSBURYWill the right hon. Gentleman inquire the amount that has to be broken?
§ Mr. LANSBURYDoes the right hon. Gentleman not think that it would be useful to the House of Commons to know the kind of task that is imposed upon these men, who are not given proper food before they are asked to do the work?
§ 30. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Health whether the Metropolitan Asylum Board has informed him what quantity of stone it is proposed to impose as a task on casuals selected for task work; whether the amount is to be 5 cwt. or 13 cwt.; can he state to what size it is intended that the stone shall be broken; and is it intended to grant any extra food on those days when task work is enforced?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINNo, Sir; my sanction is not required to the introduction of a task of stone breaking for casuals if it complies with the requirements of the Fourth Schedule to the Casual Poor (Relief) Order, 1925.
§ Mr. LANSBURYThe question asked is whether the Metropolitan Asylum Board have informed the right hon. Gentleman, etc.?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI thought the hon. Member would perceive from my answer that they did not inform me, because my sanction was not required.
§ Mr. SHEPHERDIs extra food given to them when these tasks have to be performed?
§ 31. Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Health whether, in consideration of the heavy manual labour involved in stone-breaking and the fact that many casuals are physically unfit though not actually in bad health, he will issue instructions requiring boards of guardians, and other authorities in control of casual wards where stone-breaking is imposed as task work, to supply such men with a more generous quantity of food and include in such scale food of more nourishing quality than is supplied by the dietary scales at present in force; and will he give the House the total daily cost price per head of food supplied to casuals in the wards under the control of the Metropolitan Asylum Board on 1st March, 1928?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs I informed the hon. Member for Rother Valley (Mr. Grundy) on the 15th, the dietaries were reconsidered in 1925 with the knowledge that stone-breaking was a task which casuals might be called upon to perform and the Regulations prohibit the setting of any casual to a task not suited to his age, strength or capacity. I have asked the Metropolitan Asylum Board whether they can supply the information asked for in the second part of the question and will communicate with the hon. Member.
§ Mr. LANSBURYDoes the right hon. Gentleman really consider that the diet described in the table which he submitted to me is at all sufficient for a man carrying out this heavy manual labour?
§ Mr. LANSBURYIs the opinion of an expert who has never experienced this kind of work of any value at all? Will the right hon. Gentleman not give the House an opportunity of judging by bringing this dietary table to the notice of hon. Members?