§ 12. Mr. BELLAMYasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that there are 16 young children maintained in the Market Bosworth Poor Law institution and that there is no proper accommodation for these children, and that they cannot be separated from adult and weak-minded inmates; whether he will state the longest period during which any one of these children has been 1039 detained in this institution; and whether he will make representations to the board of guardians on the matter?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINI am already in correspondence with the guardians of the Market Bosworth Union concerning their failure to comply with the requirement of Article 4 of the Poor Law Institutions Order, 1913, that children between the ages of three and 16 shall not be retained in the institution for a period exceeding six weeks, except on medical grounds. The number of children so detained is at present eight. I will communicate the information requested in the second part of the question to the hon. Member as soon as possible.