§ Mr. ALDENasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he can state the number of widows of soldiers and sailors who are being maintained by the Poor Law authorities at the present time; whether he can state the number of children of soldiers and sailors in the same position; and whether he will issue instructions that in all such cases the wives and dependants of soldiers and sailors who have fallen in the War or have been disabled shall not be allowed to enter Poor Law institutions but shall be immediately reported as without means to the Ministry of Pensions?
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Mr. FISHERI have no information as to the first part of the question. I obtained a Return in March last of the number of children of men killed in the present War who were being maintained by the Poor Law authorities. This return showed that there were at that time 993 children in this position. I have no authority to prohibit the admission to Poor Law institutions of women and children who are in need of institutional relief, but the Poor Law authorities have already been instructed to inform the Local War Pensions Committees of the admission of any such cases to their institutions.