§ Mr. WILLIAM THORNEasked the President of the Local Government Board whether the Board has issued an order that a Poor Law guardian shall not deal with applications for relief from people resident in the particular district for which he is elected; if so, can he state the reason for the order; and whether any opportunity will be afforded the House of discussing it?
§ Mr. BURNSNo order has been issued to the effect described. The hon. Member has probably in mind a passage in the circular letter which I recently issued to boards of guardians on the subject of out-relief. In that circular allusion was made to the obvious dangers which are present when out-relief is dispensed by a committee consisting of the guardians for the locality in which the applicants reside, and it was suggested, as a useful rule, that each committee should be representative of all parts of the union, and not of a particular area only, and that a guardian should not adjudicate upon applications from residents in the parish or ward which he represents. So long as human nature remains as it is the danger I have mentioned will exist, and must be guarded against. Both the Majority and Minority Reports of the Royal Commission draw attention to the evil.