§ MR. JOHN DEWARI beg to ask the Lord Advocate whether the Local Government Board for Scotland was aware of an epidemic of typhus fever, involving twenty cases (of which six were 858 fatal) between 1st October, 1899, and 12th February, 1900, in the locality between Finsbay and Scadabay, in the parish of Harris, in Inverness-shire, having a congested crofter and cottar population of about 1,000; and whether the Local Government Board, the County Medical Officer, and the District Medical Officer of Health failed to visit the locality or to take any steps to check or to assist in checking that epidemic; and, whether a public inquiry will be made into the circumstances attending that outbreak.
* MR. A. GRAHAM MURRAYThe figures given by the hon. Member are, I believe, correct, but the Local Government Board had no special intimation of the outbreak, the existence of which they learned from the regular reports of the medical and sanitary officers, the County Medical Officer did not visit the locality between the dates specified, but he was in constant communication with the District Medical Officer, who did, and who reports as follows:—"The Local Authority acted very promptly, and gave every assistance. "On the whole matter I am satisfied that no more could have been done in the absence of an isolation hospital, and I do not see any reason for ordering a public inquiry.