§ Mr. JOHN WILLIAMSasked the President of the Local Government Board whether he has received a copy of a memorandum prepared by the medical officer of health for the borough of Swansea, showing that the general death rate during six months for the municipal houses in Brynmelin ward was only 10.1 as compared with 19.7 for the privately-owned houses; that the infantile death rate was 77 in the former as compared with 124 in the latter; and will he advise medical officers of health for other towns and districts where municipal housing schemes are in operation to institute similar comparisons, with a view to obtaining further reliable evidence as to the results of good housing on the public health?
§ Mr. BURNSI have received a copy of the memorandum, and have been interested to see that the death rates in the municipal houses during the six months referred to were so much lower than in the rest of the ward. From a statistical point of view the figures are on too limited a scale to warrant any extensive deductions being drawn from them. Moreover, it is not clear that there were not other conditions, besides housing, affecting the two classes. Later on it may be possible to institute more definite comparisons of this character. Every medical officer of health is required to indicate in his annual report any action taken under the Housing Acts, and I have no doubt that any striking effect due to municipal housing will be duly recorded.