Dr. H ILLIERasked the Lord Advocate whether he is aware that the Local Government Board for Scotland, in a recent communication to the Public Health Committee of Edinburgh and Leith, have, in suggesting the provision of further hospital accommodation for small-pox, alleged as one of their reasons for doing so the danger to the community consequent 1405 on the slackening of compulsory vaccination; and, if so, what steps the Local Government Board for Scotland propose to take to bring this danger to the notice of other sanitary authorities?
§ Mr. UREThe hon. Member's inquiry is probably based on the wording of a Report obtained by the Local Government Board for Scotland which was communicated by them to the local authority of the City of Edinburgh. I am informed that the Board, on the 28th February, 1911, communicated with all the local authorities in Scotland that did not appear to have made provision for the isolation and treatment of cases of small-pox, requesting to be informed of the steps they proposed to take to secure that such provision would be available in the event of a case or cases of small-pox occurring.
§ Dr. HILLIERCan the right hon. Gentleman say that in that communication the ground alleged for making this recommendation was the increasing danger of small-pox from the diminution in the number of vaccinations?