§ Mr. CROOKSasked the President of the Local Government Board whether boards 2030W of guardians are still authorised to make charges for maintenance in respect of persons transferred as patients to county lunatic asylums; whether he is aware that the result of this is that sensitive people, who perhaps may be unable to afford it, pay the charges rather than have their private affairs made public, and other people, who perhaps can afford to pay, escape payment; and whether he will consider the advisability of introducing legislation to make the cost of maintenance of all patients in county lunatic asylums a public charge?
§ Mr. HAYES FISHERThe cost of maintenance of inmates of lunatic asylums who are not private patients is defrayed by the guardians, and it is their duty to recover so much of this cost as the inmate's estate, or such of his relatives as are legally liable to contribute to his maintenance, can properly afford to pay. I am not aware that the present state of the law has had the consequences suggested, and I cannot make any promises of legislation to amend the law in the matter.