§ Mr. LANSBURYasked the Minister of Health whether he is aware that the guardians of the Poplar parish are very strongly opposed to the dissolution of the Poplar and Stepney Sick Asylum District recently sanctioned by him; whether he will explain why he has agreed to the amalgamation of the Poor Law unions within the Stepney Borough into one union, leaving Poplar as the one parish in the Tower Hamlets outside the scheme; and whether, in view of the fact that the Government is now pledged to deal with the reform of the Poor Law, he will reconsider his decision and postpone the dissolution of the district and the unification of the unions named above until the whole question of the reform of the Poor Law has been dealt with in a comprehensive manner?
§ Mr. WHEATLEYI am aware of the facts stated in the first part of the question. The change which I have approved is in the direction of making Poor Law and municipal areas conterminous, and, as my hon. Friend knows, it is not to take effect until the 31st March, 1925. If a scheme of reform is brought into operation before that date this particular question will, no doubt, be merged in the larger issue, but in the meantime I see no need to alter my decision.