§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he will state the number of paupers relieved in the United Kingdom for the years 1890 and 1909 respectively; the sum expended on Poor Law relief in 2586W the same years; the number of persons emigrated out of funds raised under the provisions of the Unemployed Workman Act, 1905, and the gross amount of money expended on such emigration; the net amount after deducting moneys returned by the emigrants; the number of emigrants other than children, orphans and deserted, emigrated under the provisions of the Poor Law and the cost of such emigration in the years 1890 and 1909 respectively; the number of children, orphans and deserted, emigrated by boards of guardians, and the cost of such emigration in the years 1890 and 1909 respectively?
§ Mr. BURNSThe mean number of persons classified as paupers in the United Kingdom was for the year ended Lady Day, 1890, 976,573, and for the year ended Lady Day, 1909, 1,136,084. The expenditure on poor relief for the year 1889–90 was £10,024,113, and for the year 1908–9 £17,334,840. According to the latest figures 16,317 emigrants and dependents have been emigrated out of funds raised under the provisions of the Unemployed Workmen Act, 1905, the gross cost being £130,048. No complete information with regard to moneys returned by the emigrants is available. In England and Wales 72 emigrants other than orphan or deserted children were emigrated under the Poor Law in 1890 at a cost of £271, and 213 at a cost of £1,433 in 1909. The number of orphan or deserted children emigrated under the Poor Law in England and Wales was 375, at a cost of £4,191, in 1890, and 422, at a cost of £6,531, in 1909. No statistics of persons emigrated under the Poor Law in Scotland are available. In Ireland, so far as my information goes, 533 persons were assisted to emigrate in 1890 under the Irish Poor Relief Acts, at a cost of £880; and 22 persons, at a cost of £69, in 1909. I am unable to distinguish the number of orphan or deserted children, if any.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEasked the President of the Local Government Board, whether he is aware of the difficulty now attending the recovery of loans advanced to persons emigrated under the provisions of The Unemployed Workmen Act, 1905, in cases where the loans are not guaranteed by friends of the emigrants in this country; and whether he will, at the forthcoming Imperial Conference, approach the Prime Ministers of the Oversea Dominions with a view of obtaining such co-operation as will enable the wages earned by assisted emigrants to be ear-marked for repayment 2587W of loans granted to them out of public funds in this country?
§ Mr. BURNSI am aware of the difficulty referred to, but I am doubtful whether the remedy suggested by the hon. Member would be practicable. I will, however, consider the matter.