§ Mr. RAMSAY MACDONALDasked whether any inspection of school children attending London County Council schools to ascertain the vaccinal condition of such children has taken, or will take, place; whether it is proposed to exclude unvaccinated children from such schools; whether such action is in accordance with the regulations of the Board of Education; and what action he proposes to take in the matter?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANI have no definite information as to any action which the London County Council have taken, or are about to take, to ascertain whether children in public elementary schools have or have not been vaccinated. I have several times expressed my view on the matter, and may refer the hon. Member to an answer which I gave in this House on 14th October, 1908, when I said that:—"I strongly deprecate any attempt on the part of local authorities to use the machinery of medical inspection for the purpose of enforcing vaccination. Such action is likely to discredit medical inspection in the eyes of many parents who would otherwise be glad to take advantage of it." With regard to the second part of the question, I have no information as to any proposal to exclude unvaccinated children from the schools. In the circumstances the third and fourth questions do not arise.
§ Viscount HELMSLEYSeeing that recently there has been an outbreak of small-pox will not the right hon. Gentleman reconsider his advice to the local authorities, in reference to medical inspection, seeing that that advice may render parents unwilling to go in for vaccination for their children?
§ Mr. RUNCIMANNo. I have no intention whatever of altering my advice. The case of epidemics is fully dealt with in the code.
§ Dr. HILLIERasked the President of the Local Government Board how many cases of small-pox there are at present reported in London; and whether he has requested medical officers of health to use every legitimate means to induce all those who have been brought in contact with these cases to be vaccinated?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)Up to last night the number of cases of small-pox which have been reported was forty-seven. A medical inspector of the Board has conferred with the medical officers of health and with the officers of the guardians in regard to the steps to be taken for dealing with the outbreak.
§ Dr. HILLIERMay I ask if the medical inspector is urging the vaccination of contacts?
§ Mr. BURNSThe medical inspector of the Board and the local medical inspectors are, I am glad to say, doing everything that reasonably can be expected in battling with this outbreak.
§ Viscount HELMSLEYWill the right hon. Gentleman give definite instructions to the medical officers to urge vaccination wherever they can?
§ Mr. BURNSI shall deem it my duty to leave it to the medical officer of the Board and to the local medical officers of health.
§ Dr. HILLIERasked if the right hon. Gentleman can state how many sanitary authorities in the country are proposing the expenditure of ratepayers' money to provide additional hospital accommodation for small-pox on the alleged ground of the danger to the community consequent on the slackening of compulsory vaccination?
§ Mr. BURNSI have no information that any sanitary authorities are proposing to provide additional hospital accommodation on the ground mentioned.
§ Dr. HILLIERIs it not the fact that the Sanitary authorities of Leith and Edinburgh are being urged by the Local Government Board of Scotland to provide further accommodation for small-pox cases on the ground of the slackening of vaccination?
§ Mr. BURNSLeith and Edinburgh are not within my jurisdiction. I would advise my hon. Friend to put that question to the President of the Local Government Board for Scotland.
§ Dr. HILLIERasked what was the proportion during last year, relatively to the children born, of those children who were exempted from vaccination under exemption certificates?
§ Mr. BURNSI am not at present able to supply figures for the whole year. During the first half of the year, however, 456,533 births were registered and 110,851 exemption certificates were received.