Lords Sitting of 4 March 1884

MINUTES.
PUBLIC BILL—First Reading—Greek Marriages* (26).
INDUSTRIAL AND REFORMATORY SCHOOLS—REPORT OF THE ROYAL COMMISSION.

  QUESTION. OBSERVATIONS.
  LORD NORTONasked Her Majesty's Government, Whether they were taking any steps preparatory to legislation on the subject of the Report of the Royal Commission on Industrial and Reformatory Schools? In the absence, he feared from illness, of the noble Lord (Lord Aberdare), the Chairman of the Royal Commission on Industrial and Reformatory Schools, he asked what was being done about their Report, which, after two years' labour and visitation throughout the Three Kingdoms, came out last August, and had now been circulated some time. The Government had pressed for this inquiry as a matter of urgency from the enormously-growing charge on account of the schools in question, both on the Treasury and on the rates; and the difficulty of keeping straight and within bounds institutions supported half by the public, and the more important part by private charity. The inquiry was also undertaken owing to the confusion of publicly-aided schools being ordinarily in the school department, while those that were attempting to train the most neglected children out of criminal associations were put separately under the police department; and, lastly, from the multiplying varieties of schools at the public expense, many of them for children whose position and treatment were the same. A subject which the Government had pressed so urgently for all these reasons two years ago should not be shelved and made to give way to more exciting political questions. He, therefore, wished to ask if steps were being taken preparatory to the required legislation?
  EARL GRANVILLE. in reply, said, he was happy to be able to inform the noble Lord that this important subject had been under the serious consideration of the Home Office, and that the authorities there had been in communication with the Committee of the Privy Council on Education with regard to it.
  House adjourned at half past Four o'clock, to Thursday next, a quarter past Ten o'clock.