§ Mr. KEIR HARDIEasked the President of the Local Government Board whether the Local Government Board or its inspectors formerly advised guardians more frequently to place relief on loan and to require repayment of relief, some even advising that all medical relief should be given on loan whether he will now, with the view of preventing sweating by the guardians, advise guardians against relief on loan or requiring repayment of relief from persons with less than a living wage; whether he will amend the Belief Order of 28th December, 1911 (which enables relief to be put on loan), so that it shall not apply in the case of persons with less than a living wage; and whether he will now obtain from the guardians of every union a return of the persons who are now indebted to them for relief given on loan in such form as will show name of union, nature of relief (indoor, outdoor, medical, or otherwise), date when relief was first put on loan, amount paid off, amount of debt remaining unpaid, average weekly wage, present weekly wage, and number of dependants?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI do not find that the Local Government Board have ever formally advocated the granting of relief on loan as a general policy, and in recent years neither the Board nor their inspectors have, so far as I am aware, advised guardians, as a general rule, to grant relief on loan and require repayment. The power of declaring relief on loan is not much exercised, but, provided that it is used with discretion and only in cases in which the ability to repay is undoubted, it seems to me desirable that it should be retained. I have no information indicating that guardians use this power in such a way as to inflict any hardship on the recipients of relief or to deter persons who require medical relief from applying for it, and therefore I see no necessity for taking the action suggested by the hon. Member in the latter parts of the question. I should, however, be glad to consider any further information on the subject with which the hon. Member could furnish me.