§ Colonel GRIFFITH-BOSCAWENasked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been drawn to the complaints that have been made as to the bad housing accommodation provided on some farms in Worcestershire and Herefordshire for hop - pickers; whether he is aware that, whereas on some farms care is exercised and everything is done by the growers for the comfort of the pickers, on others men, women, and children are herded together in barns and outhouses which are insanitary and unfit for human habitation; whether the Board possesses any powers for compelling hop-growers to provide decent accommodation for the pickers; and, if so, will he take steps to enforce the necessary regulations in the coming picking season?
§ Mr. BURNSI have reason to believe that further improvements have been made in regard to the accommodation for the pickers of hops and other fruit and vegetables since the publication of reports on the subject by Dr. Farrar, one of my inspectors, a few years ago; but, no doubt, present conditions still leave much to be desired in places. I have no power to compel the making of by-laws by local authorities, or their enforcement when made, but I have recently drawn the attention of the authorities specially to the matter, and it will continue to engage my attention.