HL Deb 09 March 1888 vol 323 cc691-3

House in Committee (according to Order).

Clauses 1 to 19 inclusive, agreed to.

Clause 20 (Lunatics in workhouses. 48 & 49 Vict. c. 52. Form 10).

LORD DORMER

, in moving an Amendment for the purpose of compel- ling the workhouse authorities to provide sufficient and proper accommodation for pauper lunatics, said, the borough and county asylums in England and Wales were practically full, and as the number of lunatics was increasing at the average rate of 1,300 per year, it was proposed to send harmless cases which were now in the asylums to the workhouses, and his object in moving the Amendment was to save the inhabitants of the workhouses the discomfort and degradation of having to live in association with lunatics.

Amendment moved, in page 12, line 26, leave out from ("lunatics,") to the end of Sub-section (c).—(The Lord Dormer.)

THE LORD CHANCELLOR (Lord HALSBURY)

said, he thought the Amendment was unnecessary, and therefore opposed it.

Amendment negatived.

Clause agreed to.

Clauses 21 to 33 inclusive, agreed to.

On the Motion of The Lord HERSCHELL, the following Clause was agreed to, and inserted after Clause 33:— 33A. The notice by section nineteen of the Lunacy Act, 1853, required to be sent upon the recovery of a patient, shall state that unless the patient is removed within seven days from the date of the notice he will be discharged. If the patient is not removed within seven days from the date of the notice he shall be forthwith discharged without further order.

Clauses 84 to 57, inclusive, agreed to.

Clause 58 (Power to enlarge asylums in order to provide accommodation for private patients).

LORD DORMER

moved an Amendment with the object of giving to the Local Authority power to build a hospital or asylum for private patients, and restricting the powers of enlarging, granted by this clause, to those asylums which have not accommodation for more than 400 patients.

Amendment moved, In page 35, line 2, after ("Secretary of State") insert ("may erect an asylum or hospital for private patients, or if the county or borough asylum does not contain accommodation for ore than four hundred patients "); and in line 6, after ("all") insert (" new buildings or.")—(The Lord Dormer.)

LORD HALSBURY

said, he could not accept the Amendment.

Amendment negatived.

Clause agreed to.

Remaining Clauses and Schedules agreed to.

The Report of the Amendments to be received on Tuesday next.

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