§ Mr. KENNEDYasked the Minister of Health whether he has been informed that verdicts of death from starvation or accelerated by privation had been returned by inquests in December at Haddenham, Isle of Ely; at Chickenley, near Staincliffe; and in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and Ormskirk; whether he had before the receipt of this question received information of these inquests from the inspectors or Poor Law authorities and whether any Poor Law officials were present at the inquests?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThe reply to the first part of the question is in the affirmative and to the second part in the negative. As regards the third part of the question, I have at present no information.
Mr. RICHARDSONasked the Minister of Health if he can state the number of persons who were found by the verdict of a coroner's inquest to have died of starvation or to have had their deaths accelerated by privation in the counties of Northampton, Stafford, or Leicester in the year 1922; and will he state their ages and sex, the dates of the inquests and the names of the unions and counties in which the deaths occurred, which, if any, were ex-service men and which, if any, were tramps or homeless persons?
§ Sir W. JOYNSON-HICKSThere was one case on the County of Leicester of death from exposure. The person concerned was a male, aged 46–50, and the inquest was held on the 7th July, 1922. The death occurred in the Market Bosworth Union. It is not known whether the deceased person was an ex-service man, but he was apparently a tramp or homeless person. There were no such cases in the Counties of Northampton or Stafford.