Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XXX. Scotland. Statistics and other documents relating specially to Scotland.

Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress 1905-09

Date:: 1911

Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the Poor Laws and Relief of Distress. : Appendix Volume XXX. Scotland. Statistics and other documents relating specially to Scotland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service. The original may be consulted at London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Library & Archives Service.

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$No. of Councils, &c. making Recom- menda- tion. v.—Borrowing. Public Works Loan Commissioners should have power to lend money for purpose of paying off existing loans when called up under relative bonds 2 Period for repayment of Poor Law loans to be extended : — (a) By the application of Sec. 28 (5 and 6) of the Local Government (Scotland) Act, ] 894, to such loans [5]. (b) Or, alternatively, by extending to Parish Councils the borrowing powers pos- sessed by Town Councils [1] - - 22 Parish Councils of parishes partly burghal and partly landward to have the same power of borrowing for the provision of offices as that possessed by parishes wholly landward - - 23 Parisli Councils to have power to borrow for the provision of dwelling houses for medical officers - - - - - - - - 14 Parish Councils to have powers to borrow for erection of homes for paupers - - - - 9 No. of Councils. &c., making Recom- menda- tion. (e) Power to recover from ex-prisoners when they resume work, relief advanced to wives and children [2]. (/) Assimilation of law for the United Kingdom [3]. 41 Parochial relief to be alimentary debt against legally liable relatives : — {a) Even though the individual earnings do not amount to £1 per week [1]. (6) Parish Councils to have power to im- prison for failure to pay, especially those who wilfully keep their earnings below £1 per week [2]. (c) Parisli Councils to have power to exact repayment within three years [1] - - 30 Married, men with dependants to be ineligible for militia service when such dependents would become chargeable ------ 2 In cases involving imprisonment, bread-winners to be sent to labour colonies where they would work for the maintenance of their dependants, and thereby prevent them from becoming chargeable to the rates ---.-] {16) Recourse Against Relatives and Recovery of Relief.* Application for relief to operate as assignation of propert: — Army pension to be paid to Parish Council when pensioner chargeable [1] 6 Parish Councils to be entitled to repayment of relief: {a) On a pauper succeeding to property or obtaining compensa- tion ; and {b) on the payment of any insurance on the death of a pauper :— (a) Parish Councils to have power to continue payment of pauper's contribution to benefit society [1]. (b) Parish Councils to administer small estates of paupers or pauper lunatics ; Chairman or Inspector to act ex officio as curator bonis [2] - - - - 9 Provision should be made to prevent money paid to widows under Compensation Act from being squandered : — Parish Councils to have power to disburse such money [1] 4 Parish Councils to have power to demand informa- tion from savings banks, insurance offices, etc., as to monies of paupers ----- 3 Need of greater powers, better facilities, and clear and simple rules for recovery of ad- vances to paupers from legally liable relatives:— (a) Obligations to extend to: (i.) Brothers and sisters [3] ; (ii.) sons-in-law [9] ; (iii.) illegitimate son for mother's support [4] ; (iv.) step-fathers for support of step-children, legitimate or otherwise [4]. (h) Provisions of Sec. 80 of Poor Law Act, 1845, to extend and apply to any lawful child refusing or neglecting to maintain his father or mother [1]. (c) Failure to maintain dependants by habitual drunkards to be a criminal offence [7]. (d) Power to recover from children in Eng- land, by a simple and inexpensive process, the cost of their parents' maintenance in Scotland [2]. * For Recovery of Relief as between parishes see under Settlement and Removal. (17) Settlement and Removal. I.—^Settlement. Need of compulsory arbitration by Local Govern- ment Board in all cases of disputed settlement or other inter-parish dis- putes :— (a) When no question of wide general interest or legal principle is involved [1]. (b) Decision to be final and binding [34]. (c) Parish found liable should bear expenses incurred [1]. (d) All expenses to be borne by Treasury [1]. (e) In case of disputed facts decision to rest with Sheriff-Substitute [1]. (/) Local Government Board to have power to take evidence or otherwise [1]. {g) Special arbitration department of the Local Government Board to be estab- lished [39]. {h) Arbiter to be an advocate or a law agent of seven years' standing [1]. (i) No appearance to be made by either pursuer or defender [1] - - - 146 Disputes to be settled by some method other than litigation, alternatively, only after sanction of Local Government Board i No fundamental alteration in Law of Settlement needed 26 No inmate of an orphanage or charitable institu- tion to acquire a settlement - - - - 27 A child born in a maternity ward or lunatic asylum or poorhouse, other than a combination poorhouse, to be considered as having been born within the parish by which the mother of such child was relieved 18 Simplification of Law of Settlement by revision or codification :—• (a) Especially with regard to minors and imbeciles [65]. (6) Especially with regard to divorced wives [1]. (c) Period of residence to be shortened [3]. (d) Period of residence to be extended [3]. (e) Settlement to be by birth only [6] - - 100 Alteration of the law regarding the chargeabilit\' of alien poor :—• (a) Parish Councils to receive grants in respect of such poor as become chargeable [3]. (b) Cost of maintenance and removal of such poor to be borne by the county [16] - 20$