§ 40. Mr. RILEYasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the protest made by the Dewsbury Board of Guardians at the end of October against his recommendations that the scale of relief to casuals should be cut down, and that a minimum of 32 hours' work a week should be done by test workers; whether it was pointed out that these recommendations would involve that men would be working for a 32-hour week for 10s. a week; and whether, in view of the increasing difficulties as winter advances, he will revise his orders restricting the amount of out-door relief?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI have received from the guardians a request that I will not withhold my consent to the scale of relief which they have submitted. I am informing them that the scale of relief as such does not require my sanction; and that the amount of relief granted must be determined by the individual needs of the case and not by 592 any fixed scale. I have already called the attention of the guardians to the fact that the scale they contemplated was higher than was thought necessary in other and apparently comparable unions. The hon. Member will appreciate that payments made to men engaged on test work are not wages but relief and consequently must be determined by the needs of the individual.
§ Mr. TAYLORCan the right hon. Gentleman say to how many boards of guardians he has issued instructions compelling them to cut down their rate of relief?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINNo, Sir, I have no power to compel guardians to cut down their scale of relief and therefore I have not issued any instructions.
§ Mr. LANSBURYHow many boards of guardians have the right hon. Gentleman's chief inspectors and assistant inspectors compelled to cut down their scales of relief under threat of action by the Minister?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINPerhaps the hon. Gentleman will put down a question if he wants further information on that subject.
§ Mr. TAYLORIs it not a fact—[Interruption].
§ Mr. SPEAKERIt is no good asking the same supplementary question over and over again.
§ 55. Mr. SHEPHERDasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the sentence of 14 days' imprisonment passed upon four male vagrants for refusing to perform their tasks at Brigg Poor Law institution; whether he is aware that the trouble arose owing to the men not having been discharged from the Gainsborough Casual Ward until 3 p.m. the previous afternoon; and whether he will take such steps as will secure earlier discharge in all cases?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINMy attention has not previously been called to this matter but I will make inquiries.
§ 56. Mr. SHEPHERDasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware of the scenes that occurred at Braintree Casual Ward on Sunday, 7th October, owing to the admission of 24 fresh casuals from 593 Chelmsford when the Braintree Ward was already filled by men who were compulsorily detained; and whether, seeing that such difficulties are common in many parts of the country, he will issue instructions to give the casuals the option of discharge or detention and thus relieve the overcrowding?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINMy attention has not previously been called to this matter but I will make inquiries.
§ Mr. SHEPHERDWill the right hon. Gentleman look into the conditions of the casual wards as they are on Sunday afternoons, and particularly in this case, where he will probably find that the whole trouble was due to their treatment on the Sunday?
§ 57. Mr. SHEPHERDasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been called to the statement of the chairman of the Melton Mowbray Board of Guardians that, in his opinion, thousands of casuals were parasites who had adopted vagrancy as a means of livelihood, and to those of other members of the same board who have urged that instructions be issued at once to withhold the corn-forts and inducements at present held out in the practice of vagrancy; and whether he will inquire as to whether these guardians have yet applied this policy in their administration of this casual ward?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINAs I stated in my reply to the hon. Member's question of the 22nd instant, I have informed the guardians that I do not contemplate any revision of the Regulations in force in the direction suggested by their resolution. In the circumstances I think the hon. Member may take it that the guardians will adhere to the present Regulations.
§ Mr. SHEPHERDIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that this particular board of guardians is carrying on propaganda in order to get other boards of guardians to adopt their very harsh methods, and will he also note in making investigations that the chief culprits in each case are clergymen? Will he remind them that He whom they profess to follow was a vagrant?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI think the information which I have given to the boards of guardians will stop this propaganda.
§ Lieut.-Commander KENWORTHYis the right hon. Gentleman not aware that Melton Mowbray is the richest hunting district in the country?