§ Mr. MILLSasked the Minister of Health whether he has issued any instructions to boards of guardians to reduce the scale of relief to unemployed persons; and, if so, the nature of these instructions, and his reasons for issuing them?
§ Sir A. MONDI am sending the hon. Member a copy of a Circular Letter which I issued to Boards of Guardians last September indicating the general principles which should govern the administration of relief. For the reasons explained in this Circular, action has also been taken from time to time in particular unions to check the granting of relief Dui a higher scale than the earnings of independent workmen, it being a fundamental principle of the administration of relief that the amount of relief given should be calculated on a lower scale than the earnings of an independent workman who is maintaining himself by his labour.