§ MR. COGHILL (Stoke-on-Trent)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether vaccination is now being generally practised in the towns of Leicester and Gloucester, and can he state the number of unvaccinated persons in each town, and of persons who have received certificates of exemption as conscientious objectors, and what steps are the Local Government Board taking to secure the due enforcement of the law with regard to vaccination.
§ * THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. WALTER LONG,) Bristol, S.The reply to the first part of the question is in the negative. I cannot state the number of unvaccinated persons in Leicester and Gloucester, but from the latest returns it appears that in Leicester of the children born during the eighteen months ended 30th June last, 388 have been vaccinated, while certificates of conscientious objection have been obtained in respect of 534. The corresponding figures as regards Gloucester are 879 and 395. Medical inspectors of the Local Government Board visited both towns last year in connection with the performance of vaccination. As, however, the latest returns are not satisfactory, I have directed that further visits shall be paid by inspectors as early as possible with a 1036 view of ascertaining in what manner the duties of the vaccination officers are now being carried out.