§ MR. ALDENI beg to ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he will call the attention of the boards of guardians, by circular or otherwise, to the rate of infantile mortality in many districts throughout the country, and ask for their co-operation in reducing that mortality, especially by giving medical relief to infants whose parents are unable to provide it, without making such relief a debt.
§ MR. JOHN BURNSI have no reason to suppose that guardians are unwilling to afford medical relief for infants whose parents arc unable to provide it, nor have I any evidence to show that, where it is the practice to give medical relief on loan, persons properly entitled to receive relief are thereby deterred from applying for it. It does not at present appear to me necessary to send a circular to all boards of guardians as suggested, but if my hon. friend is aware of any particular cases of failure to give relief to the infants of parents unable to provide it, and ho will communicate the facts to me, I will further consider the matter.