§ SIR JOHN TROLLOPEsaid, he wished to ask the right hon. Gentleman the President of the Poor Law Board whether he was prepared to adopt the recommendations of the Committee of 1854 upon medical relief to the poor, namely:—1. That medical appointments should be permanent. 2. That the remuneration should be revived and increased. That the districts should be examined?
§ MR. BOUVERIEsaid, that the recommendations of the Committee were threefold. The first was that the Poor Law 1494 Board should direct their attention to the extent of the medical districts which were in some cases inconveniently large. That, however, was a recommendation which could only be carried out from time to time. The Board would, whenever occasion offered, direct their attention to the reduction of the area of the districts. The second recommendation had reference to the permanency of the appointments of those medical officers, and that had been in a great measure complied with. The third was with reference to the inadequacy of the salaries of the medical officers. Half of those salaries were paid out of the Consolidated Fund. The first year that that arrangement was entered into the total amount expended for those salaries was £155,700, and for the year ending March 31st, 1855, the sum had increased to £172,200, which showed that something had been done to increase those salaries where they were inadequate; but it was impossible to do so in any case without the consent of the Boards of Guardians.