HC Deb 11 March 1912 vol 35 cc816-7
Mr. LYNCH

asked the President of the Local Government Board whether his attention has been directed to the correspondence between the Chairman of the Committee on Tuberculosis and Professor Karl Pearson, who wrote that it would be waste of time to prepare and submit a Memorandum; whether he has considered the complaint of Professor Karl Pearson that the Committee is not sufficiently representative on the side of pathology, of clinical knowledge, and of the science of statistics; and whether, in view of the importance of the questions that will be considered as, for instance, the allotment of sums of money to sanatoria and to research work, respectively, and of the necessity of obtaining the advice of the highest scientific authorities on tuberculosis, he will entertain the suggestion of increasing the strength of the Committee in the directions indicated?

Mr. MASTERMAN

The answer to the first two paragraphs is in the affirmative. My right hon. Friend does not think it would be wise to enlarge the Committee on Tuberculosis and Sanatorium Benefit. Its composition and size were determined by the necessity of securing upon it representatives of each of the various Government Departments involved, together with gentlemen practically concerned with various types of sanatoria. The special subjects referred to in the question will be dealt with by obtaining assistance from expert witnesses. The Chairman of the Committee has already taken the requisite steps for this purpose, which include among them the request made to the distinguished scientist already referred to.