§ MR. ROWNTREEI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board if, in return for the co-operation of Medical Officers of Health in collecting information for the Royal Commission on Tuberculosis, and on other matters, and in view of the great importance of imparting the results of governmental inquiries on sanitary matters to officers officially responsible for the health of the people, he will use his influence to have the Reports of such Commissions, and of the Medical Officer of the Local 567 Government Board, sent in return to such Medical Officers of Health as may-have furnished contributory information towards the preparation of such Reports?
§ MR. RITCHIEAs regards the Reports of the Medical Department of the Local Government Board, the Board are in the habit of forwarding copies of such Reports on local inquiries to local officers who have given assistance to the Board's Inspectors in the inquiries. It is also the practice of the Board to distribute a certain number of copies of the Annual Report of the Medical Officer of the Board. In the case also of special Reports, such as that on the smallpox epidemic at Sheffield, a considerable number of copies have been distributed among officers of Sanitary Authorities. Any applications that the Board may receive for such Reports will be considered with the desire to meet them, so far as is practicable, within the limits which may be fixed by the Treasury. I may at the same time observe that it is quite within the power of a Sanitary Authority to purchase at the cost of the rates Reports of this character, which they may consider will assist their officers in the discharge of their duties.