§ MR. CORRIE GRANT (Warwickshire, Rugby)I beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board, whether he is aware that the Metropolitan Asylums Board have repeatedly declined to supply information as to the names and addresses, ages, and conditions as to vaccination of all smallpox patients treated in their hospitals, although they are required to give this information by section 8 of The Vaccination Act, 1898, and whether children born in these hospitals, and duly vaccinated, and afterwards dying of smallpox, are included in the statistical tables of the Metropolitans Asylums Board among unvaccinated cases.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. WALTER LONG,.) Bristol, SThe section mentioned by the hon. Member does not apply in the case of a smallpox hospital 1332 maintained by the managers of the Metropolitan Asylum District, as the managers are not a sanitary authority within the meaning of the section. I am, however, informed by the managers that a register similar to that described in the section, is in fact kept at the Hospital Ships, but that only two persons have made application to inspect it. The reply of the managers to these applications, which it appeared were made on behalf of the National Anti-Vaccination League, was to the effect that arrangements would be made for the register being produced, assuming that the person wishing to inspect was prepared to comply with the regulations of the managers, and satisfy the Medical Officer before entering the ships, that he was adequately protected against contracting smallpox. With regard to the last part of the question, it is the practice of the managers to classify as unvaccinated any person who was already infected with smallpox before vaccination was performed. I understand that no birth took place in the smallpox hospitals of the managers last year, and that this year there have only been three births.