§ Mr. COOPERasked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been drawn to the fact that a young married woman, a patient in the maternity ward of the Hammersmith Workhouse, 14 days after the birth of her child, was mounted on steps and set to wash the paint on the walls, and that in answer to a protest it was stated that this patient was put to do what all other patients do, and there was no reason why she should not do it; whether he is aware that this patient was ill and under treatment before and after she left the workhouse; whether it is in accordance with the rules of the Local Government Board that the inmates of the maternity wards of workhouses should be put to hard manual work shortly after confinement; and, if not, what does he intend to do in the matter?
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§ Mr. BURNSI understand that the case referred to is that of an unmarried woman who was admitted to the infirmary of the parish of Hammersmith on 3rd March last and confined on the following day. I am informed that it is not the fact that the woman was mounted on steps and set to wash the paint on the walls. The woman left the infirmary on 3rd April, and is believed to have been married two days afterwards. I do not understand that she was ill and under treatment other than for a normal confinement before leaving the infirmary. There are no rules of the kind referred to in the latter part of the question, and at the Hammersmith Infirmary all work performed by the patients is stated to be purely voluntary, and of a very light character.