MR. PIKE PEASETo ask the President of the Local Government Board whether he can state the proportion of officials and employees to patients in the fever hospitals of the Metropolitan Asylumns Board on 1st January, 1908.
(Answered by Mr. John Burns.) The returns of the staff at the Metropolitan Asylums Board are made up fortnightly, and the date nearest to 1st January last, for which there is a record, is 28th December, 1907. The total number of the officials and employees of all kinds at the hospitals was 3,850, and of the patients 6,244. The numbers include as regards the small-pox hospitals, (a) the staff held in readiness for any small pox cases that might occur; (b) the staff for fever purposes at the Joyce Green smallpox hospital, which was being used as an emergency fever hospital at the time; and (c) the Joyce Green farm staff.