§ 43. Mr. TOUCHEasked whether, seeing that the Metropolitan Asylums Board have an institution at Rustington, near Little-hampton, set apart for tuberculosis cases, the cost of which is defrayed out of the poor rate for the Metropolis, it is intended to transfer this institution to the London County Council for sanitoria purposes; 2078 and, if not, will the right hon. Gentleman say how it is proposed to recoup the ratepayers the, cost of administering this institution?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)I have not heard of any proposal to transfer to the London County Council the institution of the Metropolitan Asylums Board situated at Rustington. As stated in my recent reply, the institution referred to is for children only.
§ 105. Sir REGINALD POLE-CAREWasked the President of the Local Government Board how many counties or county boroughs have not yet submitted to the Local Government Board complete schemes for detecting and treating tuberculosis; and how many complete schemes which have been submitted have not yet been approved by the Board?
§ Mr. BURNSI would refer the hon. Member to the answers I have already given to the hon. Member for Plymouth. Some sixty councils of counties and county boroughs have not yet submitted complete schemes, but forty-six of those councils have submitted schemes of a partial or temporary character. Of the sixty complete schemes which have been submitted, twenty-seven have not yet been approved by the Board, but in these cases the Board are in communication with the councils, either with a view to obtaining further information or the reconsideration of some feature of the scheme.
§ 106. Mr. WRIGHTasked the President of the Local Government Board how many beds will be required in the near future for the United Kingdom in sanatoria; and how many beds he anticipates will be needed, exclusive of Poor Law beds, in hospitals for the treatment of consumptives?
§ Mr. BURNSI do not think I can do more at present than refer the hon. Member to the estimates given in the Interim Report of the Departmental Committee on Tuberculosis.
§ Mr. WRIGHTIs the Local Government Board still of opinion that in the near future 18,000 beds will be required for sanatoria and in other institutions?
§ Mr. WRIGHTIs that not the opinion expressed in the Local Government Board's Circular of 14th May?
§ Mr. BURNSNo, Sir. An estimate was formed by the Astor Committee that 9,000 sanatoria beds would be required for the United Kingdom.
§ Mr. WRIGHTDid not the circular of the Local Government Board adopt the estimate of the Astor Committee and supplement it?
§ Mr. SPEAKERThe hon. Member had better put a question down.
§ 107. Mr. WRIGHTasked how many of the schemes by county and town councils for providing sanatoria benefit and treatment of consumptives, wholly or partly approved by his Board, are based upon the assumption that in addition to the Hob-house Grant there would be available 1s. 3d. per annum per head of assured persons?
§ Mr. BURNSIt is impossible to say what assumptions have been entertained by each local authority that has considered a scheme of institutional treatment, but it may be supposed that local authorities are alive to the situation.