§ Mr. CLUSEasked the Minister of Health if his attention has been called to the, practice of the Islington Board of Guardians in sending men, who desire admission to the local institution, to Belmont, which is situate about 18 miles from Islington; and whether, seeing that the local workhouse has, approximately, 500 less inmates than its certified accommodation, he can take action to ensure that the unfortunate people driven to Poor Law institutions shall be admitted to the local institution under the control of the Islington Board of Guardians?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINIt is within the discretion of a hoard of guardians to decide in what form relief shall be given to persons who apply for it, and, accordingly, to grant such relief by the issue of an order of admission to Belmont Institution, rather than to the Islington 1853W Institution. Arrangements are made to pay, where necessary, the expenses of transport to Belmont.
§ Mr. CLUSEasked the Minister of Health whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that destitute persons applying for admission to the Islington Institution, St. John's Road, in the evening or the early hours of the morning, are referred by the porter to the relieving officer for an admission order, without any reference to the master; that under the regulations of the guardians the relieving officers are put on a rota for night duty, having frequently to deal with applications after midnight; that the guardians have rescinded a resolution providing that persons applying for admission after 10 p.m. should not be refused admission by the porter except after consultation with, and on the authority of, the master; and whether, seeing that in the Regulations governing Poor Law institutions provision is made for a master to admit persons without an order from the relieving officer, he will call the attention of the Islington Board of Guardians to the Regulation?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINThe master of a Poor Law institution is empowered to admit persons applying at the institution for admission without any order from a relieving officer in cases of sudden or urgent necessity, and I am informed that all cases of this kind are, in fact, so admitted to the Islington Institution. In these circumstances, the last part of the question does not appear to arise.