§ MR. J. RAMSAY MACDONALD (Leicester)I beg to ask the President of the Board of Education whether he proposes to create a medical department in connection with the Board of Education, so as to supervise and co-ordinate local work done in connection with the medical inspection of school children; and whether, in order to create such a department, legislation is necessary.
§ MR. WEDGWOODI beg also to ask the President of the Board of Education whether, in view of the fact that it is not competent for a private Member to move in Committee on the Education (Administrative Provisions) Bill for the establishment of a permanent medical department at the Board of Education, he can say now what medical machinery the Board intend to adopt to carry out the proposals of the Bill; and, if he cannot give this information, whether he will say on the advice of what experts or reports he intends to act.
§ THE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION (Mr. MCKENNA,) Monmouthshire, N.I regret I cannot yet add anything to the Answer which I gave to my hon. friend the Member for West Bradford on 15th March to the effect that it would be premature to decide what machinery will be required by the Board of Education on the Education (Administrative Provisions) Bill becoming law, but my hon. friend may rest assured that I am fully alive to the importance of this question. The staff of the Board of Education can be increased with the consent of the Treasury without legislation. I may add that the Board's staff already includes two medical men.
§ MR. WEDGWOODasked on the advice of what experts the right hon. Gentleman intended to act.
§ MR. MCKENNAThe whole subject at the time of last year's Bill was considered by experts, whose names are too numerous to mention.
§ MR. WEDGWOODIt is not the fact that the clause dealing with medical inspection of school children was added in opposition to the wishes of the Government?
§ MR. MCKENNAwas understood to reply that the hon. Member was not entitled to say that.