§ 81. Lord N. CRICHTON-STUARTasked how many sanatoria have been built under the National Insurance Act; how many are in course of erection; and for how many plans have been passed by the Commissioners under the Act?
§ The PRESIDENT of the LOCAL GOVERNMENT BOARD (Mr. Burns)The Local Government Board have approved, under the National Insurance Act, 117 sanatoria and hospitals, containing 4,597 beds. The erection of new sanatoria and the extension of existing buildings are now under consideration generally by local authorities, who are formulating complete schemes for the treatment of tuberculosis.
§ Lord NINIAN CRICHTON-STUARTArising out of that answer, may I ask whether the sanatoria to which the right hon. Gentleman refers had been newly built in accordance with the Act?
§ Mr. BURNSNo, certainly not. It could not be, the Act having been only so recently passed, but I would like to say there has been considerable extension, and a 2068 large number of suitable places that were not being used for other infectious diseases have been very wisely and economically diverted to tuberculosis.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKECan the right hon. Gentleman say how many consumptives there are in the country, and what proportion the number, 4,597 bears to that number?
§ Mr. BURNSSeventy thousand people die in the United Kingdom every year and 300,000 are ill; 9,000 beds were wanted, and in four months, under the Insurance Act, accommodation has been provided for nearly 4,600.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEMay I ask, inasmuch as you have secured sufficient bed accommodation for 4,597 persons, will the remaining beds be found in the next two months?
§ Mr. BURNSBy the time the 9,000 require the beds, I have not the least doubt that that number will be available.
Captain FABERMay I ask the right hon. Gentleman whether county hospitals, where other people are taken care of, are being used?
§ Mr. BURNSYes, in every case where the local authority can avail themselves of sanitary hospitals owned by county councils or borough councils, they have done so; and where there was equally good or better accommodation in possession of voluntary institutions, they have very sensibly sent their tuberculous patients to these institutions.
§ Sir C. KINLOCH-COOKEIs it not a fact that in the Act there are words which make it impossible for certain local authorities to take advantage of the Act?
§ Mr. BURNSNo. Under Section 64 it is possible for a county council which previously could not provide hospital or sanatoria now so to do, and in each of these cases I have sanctioned a token Grant of £10 to enable them to proceed with their scheme.