§ 58 and 59. Mr. PETOasked the President of the Local Government Board (1) whether, when considering the loss of income suffered by vaccination officers in various districts in England and Wales owing to the operation of the Vaccination Act and Order of 1907, he gave attention to those cases in which vaccination officers had complained to the Local Government Board with regard to their loss of income and in which the Local Government Board had refused to take any action; and, if so, how many such cases there are and what action he proposes to take with regard to them; and (2) whether, when considering the loss of income suffered by vaccination officers throughout England and Wales owing to 1859 the operation of the Vaccination Act and Order of 1907, he gave attention to the cases in which the Local Government Board had written to boards of guardians recommending the payment by them of gratuity and an increase in the then existing fees, and in which the guardians had refused to act in accordance with those recommendations; and, if so, how many of these cases there are; and whether he now proposes to take any general action in order to carry out the promise made on behalf of the Government when the Vaccination Bill was being considered in the House of Lords in 1907?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELAll the cases in which vaccination officers have complained to the Board and have not been compensated have been kept under observation. There are some six cases in which, after correspondence with the guardians on a vaccination officers' complaint, the Board have not thought that there was a case for pressing the guardians to award compensation. (Most of the cases in which guardians had refused to adopt recommendations made by the Board with regard to compensation have now been dealt with. There are ten such cases in which the guardians have not yet granted compensation. As I stated in my reply to the hon. Member on 2nd April, I do not propose to take any general action in this matter, but I will willingly consider any individual case which may be brought before me.
§ Mr. PETOCould the right hon. Gentleman say what these vaccination officers live on while their cases are under consideration?
§ Mr. HERBERT SAMUELI assume that they live on their fees and other remuneration.